Since monsoon season shows absolutely no signs of relenting, and we have another event next weekend, the plan for this past weekend was to RIDE at all costs. Since our place is basically under water, on Saturday we hauled over to a covered arena down the road and did a little dressage work. It was the first I’ve been able to ride Henry since Greenwood the weekend before, so he was a little tense but the wicked humidity soon zapped all of his energy right out, nervous or otherwise.
There were mirrors on one end of the ring, which was both AWESOME and awful at the same time. It’s great to be able to see things, but it’s also horrible to be able to see things. Sometimes I’d be like “this feels pretty good” and then I’d look in the mirror and be like “Oh, nevermind…”. Mirrors are like having a lesson in and of themselves.
On Sunday I decided to take him over to the local h/j show that was happening this weekend and just enter a couple jumper classes. I figured this would be good experience for him – get tossed on the trailer, come out, get tacked up, warm up, then go in the ring. Usually when we go places we have the benefit of taking a day to settle in.
I had originally signed up for a 2’6″-2’9″ and a 2’9″-3′ class, but upon seeing how little the jumps were set I decided to scratch the smaller one and add the 3′-3’3″ instead. It ended up being pretty perfect because the first class was more like 2’9″ and the second class was more like 3′ (I think maybe one or two of the jumps was actually 3’3″ but that’s probably it). They weren’t our best courses ever but he clocked right around that spooky ring with no questions asked and was a trooper about it. If I could quit pulling to the short distance that would be great.
It was fun to get back to our jumper roots for a while, but it also really made me appreciate eventing and having ride times. Oh how quickly I’d forgotten about the “hurry up and wait”. And wait. And wait. I had to be somewhere at noon so as soon as we finished our second class I jumped off, shoved him full of cookies, stuffed him back on the trailer, and away we went. Although I did stop on the way back from closing out my check to grab his ribbon from the bigger class. Don’t be impressed, there were only 3 of us.
All in all it was a good weekend with lots of riding time, even if it did require trailering out to get it done. It looks like we’re going to end up having to do the same thing this week too if we want to ride at all before the event next weekend, since this stupid daily rain shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. Over it.
breedrideevent.com 
Sounds like fun! What good experience and a great pony! 🙂
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Mirrors and video really get you, or at least they get me! Congrats on the good show outing. It’s nice to have a horse who can just get off the trailer and go like that.
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I want mirrors, but I don’t want mirrors.
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You forgot a hairnet?! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?! Just kidding. Wtf is a hairnet? (still kidding. a little.)
Glad y’all had a good time and those jumps are horrifying.
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It was sad, the one I used to keep in my purse was gone! No fear, I replaced it last night.
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So, my first ever dressage lesson with my BNT almost ended my relationship because I gave my helmet to Ethan to carry to the trailer and apparently the hairnet fell out as he was walking. I almost ended it right then and there, but then I dug out some crappy spare in my truck and we lived to see another day because I did not have to ride in front of her with naked ears. Also Henry looks stellar in these photos.
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I have hairnets stashed all over the place – my car, my trunk, my grooming bucket, my tack cleaning drawer – but since I was in a borrowed truck and trailer and I had groomed him at home, I had NONE of my backups. Not gonna lie, it was a moment of panic. The spare in my purse should solve the problem going forward, because EARS.
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Haha I can’t ride without my hunter hair!!!
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I’m kind of kicking myself for not showing this weekend. S texted and said they only had like two oxers set up? Would have been a good intro back into bigger jumpers!
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The Intro jumpers were tiny. Like… TINY. 2’3″ with a couple at 2’6″ would be my guess. The Schooling were just a hole higher, so also very small. They put the jumps up two holes from the Schooling to the Open, so those were closer to the real listed height, but still not really. They never actually widened any of the oxers either.
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Glad you got a good weekend of riding in before your next event, you guys look great!
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Sounds like a fun outing – good boy Henry!
Also, why would a hair net go over your ears?
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The proper way is covering half to 3/4 of the ear.
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Yay other people’s indoors!
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nice job getting out and making it happen, even if hauling out is a pain! Henry makes it look easy 😀
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Double bonus. Indoor ring….and satin. Glad it was such a great outing for you two!
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We need rain but sounds like you are getting more then desired!
Glad you are getting some fun outings in!!
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11.5″ so far this month. Make it stop.
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Way to go Henry! And yay-ish drought-breaking monsoons? Drought is bad… but flash flooding never helped anyone either!
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