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2013 Memories

2013 Memories

Monday, January 25, 2016

Long Overdue

A HUGE influence on the fact that Mystic moved with me out to Inavale was the fact that our dressage trainer from our previous barn already had been teaching monthly clinics out at Inavale. The only down side is that she is only out once a month. I am not used to being able to lesson once a week but I was getting onto the every other week plan and I was really enjoying it. Before this morning I hadn't seen her for 6 weeks and our debut at 3rd level is in 3 months...
Walking the trails as a warm up. It's so gorgeous out there!

We had a great lesson working on our changes and half pass. Changes have been hard for me to practice because I can't feel if they are clean or not and before moving I was riding alone 99% of the time so for the most part I wasn't practicing them. Mystic is such an honest horse and the changes don't upset him at all so he either changes clean or changes 1/2 of a stride late. The 1/2 stride late is so hard for me to tell because it still feels so easy and nothing about him changes. No bucking, no head tossing, no tail swishing, no nothing. We got a super hard exercise to work on that will spotlight any tiny bit of your horse not being on the aids. Not only was it super hard to begin with but she made me do it with no stirrups! I started out by crossing my stirrups over my saddle. At F (tracking left) we picked up the counter canter, B we did a 1/4 of a 20 meter circle, once reaching the middle we had to do a full 10 meter circle tracking right (so now on the correct lead), we then took that back into the counter canter (once closing the circle) on to the quarter line (we are now on the quarter line right by E), once straight on quarter line we were ready for a change! We started thinking about the change in 3 strides which really helped me. The first stride is used to push the horse forward, the second stride you change your legs, and the third stride you shift your weight and give the aid for the change. We did this exercise going both directions and I got off barely being able to walk! Super hard, but also super fun!

We finished off our lesson with some half pass which is easily one of my favorite things to do! She had 2 cones set up down the centerline and we had to half pass off the wall and all the way through the cones and then immediately leg yield back to the wall. This really helps make sure that Mystic is not just dropping his shoulder in the half pass and is truly off of my leg. I have really been working on this exercise for the last couple weeks and he has improved so much. His half pass right has always been decent, but lacking enough bend sometimes, but going left has been very difficult. This morning we got them both ways super nice. It felt amazing! A big take away, and one that I already knew, is that I need to be less restrictive in my reins and use even more inside leg. She said we are still on the right track and will be ready for Heart of the Valley in May!
The perfect fill in lesson horse for the 7 year olds

I also just bought Mystic a Total Saddle Fit dressage girth and used it for the first time today. When I was just walking him to warm up I could already feel a difference. During my lesson I didn't even think about it but I also didn't feel the need to adjust my saddle ever. Normally my saddle slips from side to side and just moves around in general. Now that I know it works well I am going to invest in the sheepskin cover and maybe even one for Mylo!

Thursday, January 21, 2016

2016 Show Season and Goals


This is easily the most excited I have been going into show season! That is saying a lot because I always get super excited for it but this year really seems like it could be our best year yet. We have so many more options as to what we can make it to and as long as I can financially swing it all I am all for it. My new work schedule is pretty crazy and I don't have a life outside of work (thats why us horse people only have horse related friends, right?) it will all be worth it to be able to afford all of these shows.
Totally unrelated but amazing beach pictures 😉

First, lets start with our goals for the year.
-Our biggest goal this year, or to date, is to get our bronze medal. Has this time already arrived?! I have been dreaming about getting this forever and never thought it was in my future. My little black and white pony amazes me!

-Attend at least 2 recognized dressage shows

-Attend at least 2 recognized events

-Score a 65% at 3rd level (any of the tests)

-Begin some 4th level work

Schedule wise I am being optimistic while writing it down but keeping the ones that are most likely to happen in the back of my mind. If more then that actually happen then it is an added bonus! Im just going to list more of the bigger shows not the little schooling/league shows we may hit along the way also.



Heart of the Valley 1 & 2 Recognized Dressage Show:
      I love having 2 shows in one weekend. I could theoretically get my bronze in one weekend! I thought about letting the kid show Mylo here too but I'm not sure I want to justify the cost for a 3 year old to start his show career at an expensive recognized show.

Inavale one day event:
      If all goes as planned both Mystic will go BN and Mylo will go Intro

Aspen Farms 3 day:
     Mystic/I will go BN

Inavale Farms 3 day:
     Mystic/I will go BN and Mylo/his kid will go Intro (as long as we can get him out XC before hand)

Dressage at DevonWood:
     Mystic/I at 3rd level

Young Rider 3 day:
     Mystic/I at BN

Dressage at Lake Oswego:
     Mystic/I at 3rd

Aspen Farms 3 day:
     Mystic/I at BN

ODS Championships at DevonWood:
     Mystic/I at 2nd if we can get to enough shows to get out bronze so we can also get 2nd scores to qualify. Problems of riding a fat pony that can only do one hard test a day!


Wednesday, January 20, 2016

2016

The last month of my life has been insanely crazy and at the same time life changing. Im thinking 2016 is going to be a blast, and I'm going to try to document some of it here for safe keeping! First let me back up to the last few months. November 1st Mylo moved to a friends barn and since he was lightly started under saddle their 12 year old daughter, who also is a dynamite event rider, started riding him. With about 30 rides on him this is what he looks like:
It doesn't get much cuter! They are a super cute pair and they will make their intro eventing debut this year should all go well. He was supposed to be for sale... supposed to be being the key words ;) He is no longer on the market as of now.


Mid November I got a call from Tolos owner. Needless to say I once again have 3 horses. His brain is pretty fried, just from a non educated rider not from poor care, so he is on a vacation. I went to put him right to work but quickly determined he needed a nice break. Once a stall opens up he will move to the barn and go back to work. Nothing like putting your 12 year old horse back on the lunge line and long lining. Hopefully he comes back well and I can find a lease for him.


December rolls around and I get a message from a local trainer asking if I would like a job. I have always like this person, even taken some jump lessons from her, and knew the facility well so I decided to go in and have a talk with both her and the owner of the barn. On January 1st Mystic and I packed up our bags and moved into Inavale Farms where I am the new assistant instructor! Inavale also happens to hold the only recognized 3day in Oregon and has full XC course, trails, and hosts many shows each year. Basically I get to teach little kids on to stay on their horses and I love it! Mystic settled in wonderfully (like he always does) and he is going better then ever which is a good sign considering this could be our big year. 


We are continuing to prepare to go out and get our 3rd level scores for our bronze medal this spring and he is coming along really nicely. I was getting frustrated with bad rides before moving but its amazing how things can change when situations change. Since I am now at a barn that has a strong competitive team that travels a lot we will also get to show a ton more. They are a super fun group and are willing to haul Pony. Its a win, win! I HATE not being mobile and I have seriously been grateful to everyone in our past who has helped us get places. This will make it way easier for us to get out and about. Along with earning our bronze I hope to get out and event more too. I will do a post on everything we hope to attend this year later so I can keep track!

A short recap of what we have done the last few months, which isn't much, show wise. We went to the adult team show with the NDF crew where our team won 1st place overall and Pony got Champion 2nd level with an average of over 67% on 2 tests.

We also went to an eventing derby in September where we finished in our dressage score of a 25 and was 1 of only 2 double clear BN rounds.
We may not have done much in 2015 but he sure is consistent 😊