GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER

Depending on where you live, you may be the most frustrated with mothernature's bitchy attitude as of late.

I left you all last time with all the excitement of going XC schooling.

Yeah, that didn't happen.

Rain cancelled it.

Probably for the best, since I'm broke and that trip would've sucked me dry until the next payday. NEVER FEAR. A woman here with a small XC course is going to let me school before I go off to Longview. Better than nothin!

In addition to some INSANE thunderstorms and torrential rain a few days ago, we were blessed with a beautiful snowstorm exactly 24 hours after we were laying out on decks, sipping cocktails, enjoying the EIGHTY FUCKING DEGREE WEATHER.

GET IT TOGETHER MOTHERNATURE. Jesus.

I froze my ass off yesterday at the barn. Like, I'm pretty sure I have frostbite.  And I'm almost positive the horses were close to colic since their poor bodies were being thrashed around with the insane weather fluctuations.

I really loathe the midwest.

Sweating in shorts yesterday...freezing in jackets today. WTF

To add to the fun, we played musical horses and I failed miserably at attempting to ride another beast.

Us, on our own horses at first

I'm pretty sure I looked like a sack of fat potatoes on this beautiful beast I rode, and I could not FOR THE LIFE OF ME get my shit together. I don't think he was on the bit once, and his transition were shit. Oh the flopping. Luckily we didn't get pictures of me on him.

I blame his massive size and ridiculously huge stride. (Yankee looks bigger in the above pic, but thats an illusion. This horse is like, 17.2, and big and beautiful. Also an OTTB)

The owner of the beast of course made Yankee look amaze balls and I was like stahp it.

Luckily Yankee was a darling for me too and we worked on stretchy trot and self carriage. HEY-O

I've never felt uber comfortable on other horses, partially because I've always owned and ridden my own exclusively for long periods of time. They put up with my shit and vice versa. Comfort zoned.

Whenever I ride/rode Isis, Fancy or Pronto I feel/felt awkward and floppy. Mutiply by ten on this horse I rode yesterday.

Actually very jealous of people like Jackie and Jessie who are superstars at catch riding. They can ride ANYTHING. I wish I had had more chances to catch ride and be more versatile. I felt most confident in my riding when I owned 5 horses and rode them all each day. I was very practiced at switching my riding style and of course was insanely fit. Even when I rode for NSF with all the babies, they made me mrs conscious and ultimately a better rider.

But for the most part, I've been exclusively riding Spirit or Yankee for the last 10 years.

Crazy.

Hurry UP Sunday Funday

I think I've slightly recovered from my hangover and you can view a blogpost about the show shortly over at the New Vocations webisite under my ambassador page :D It seems redundant to post on my blog and theirs, so I will give a link once it up if anyone cares to read about the dressage show frivolity.

I also filed my taxes so I feel accomplished. And did errands. And cleaned my house. And bought new tires for my car. And got an oil change. BE ALL THE ADULT THINGS. I'm choosing to ignore that I owe almost $500 in state and property tax though...one day I'll pay that....

So I don't know about any of you guys but winter has FINALLY left the building.

The grass has sprouted. Trees and flowers are blooming and bugs are bursting forth with energy. Not to mention the horses are getting sleek.

Yankee just looks mildly stupid at the moment since he was shaved and grows his hair in all spotty.

Human, I am le tired. No work for meh.

I think he kind of looks like a leopard, haha. A new fashion statement.

We are in full horse show mode and I've actually been doing well riding him almost everyday AND working out. I look rather slim compared to a month ago. Its nice my breeches are falling off. And are those ARM MUSCLES I'M SEEING?

Say hai to my giraffe and dingo

YAY SHOPPING *insert evil grin* *bank account cries*

So after feeling good that I went out and practiced dressage at a show, it is now time to burst forth with happiness and drive 2 hours to Kansas to school CROSS COUNTRY. But first, a jump school.

I am so SO excited. Like I almost can't function this week. Its been  A YEAR. A whole friggn year since I've jumped a single XC fence. The last time he was a boss (see Blog banner) so I know he will rock out. Even though there is no need to school prelim or even training since I am (sadly) only doing Novice (UGH) at Longview since we haven't evented in a year (trust me I am really pissed about it but I feel its safest than to go training after a year off), we are still going to jump the big fences because YOLO why not I'm paying to be there.

#eventermentality

I set up a fun "course" (I didn't mean it to tun into one, it just did) that consisted of two BIG verticals, a fan, the skinny and a wide oxer.

The plan was to warm up like Jessie taught us then school each fence one at a time before stringing them together. Then let Jessie take him for a joy ride, since she is mainly a dressage gal.

He jumps single fences like no other, but we forever have problems making a course happen without falling apart in the middle. ESPECIALLY if there are verticals. BIG ones. SO I made big ones. They were almost four feet but he only knocked a rail one time out of like 18 jumps. YAY Yankee.

I HATE reading blogs with too many words, so I will now post le pics of le beast being one.

The fan is such a cool jump!

The fan!

Why so serious

3'9 aint but a thang anymore

Adorable

Dem knees

DAT TROT DOH

I love this horse like, so much.

He tries SO hard for his rider and he makes it SO easy. If I didn't have him to save my bum I don't know where I'd be! Crazy to think I trained him and now his ability almost surpasses mine. However, I am getting stronger and my position isn't so bad anymore.

SO READY TO GET EVENTING.

Hungover AF

I want to write a post about our show but I am so horse showing thunder storming babysitting stray dog finding bills paying working long hours hungover that I can barely function so I will sneak a few pics and leave it at that until I maybe recover. 

Had some mildly good work put in, with an OTTB tantrum about leg yielding, but otherwise a solid show that let us know what we need to work on. Lost to the girl at my barn who creams everyone with ridiculously unheard of high scores, BUT we snagged a first in first level 2 and nabbed the TIP (thoroughbred incentive program) award for the highest scoring thoroughbred at first level (64.5). Yay Jockey Club for sweet show swag! The judge was super harsh and in second level Jessie got third...the winning score was a 59....wut.

Sweet JC swag :)

XC schooling this Sunday!! Hopefully I make it to Sunday....