Bobby’s Summer Update

Published on by Amanda C

Drum roll, please…

My Summer Update, by BOBBY!

As you all know, the pinnacle planned event of the summer was Coconino Horse Trials in Flagstaff, AZ.

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The Coconino gang! Please note where Chance’s right arm is. Is that her trying to hug  me? Yes, I think so… boo loves me.

In preparation for Coconino we had to have the horses extra fit for the altitude, which meant an amped up conditioning schedule. Of course, it seems like when you really need to ride in Texas, it rains and rains and rains so that everything is flooded. I still had to keep Halo fit so I started trotting on the side of the road – the same road we’ve trotted on the side of for years. Apparently all the rain washed away the topsoil, and guess who stepped on a very very old Coke bottle and punctured his frog by about ½ an inch?  Yes, my poor sweet Halo.  I lept off of him and had to pull the glass out. We were still a ways from home and if he’d walked on it, it would have shoved in deeper.  You know how paper cuts never stop bleeding?  You get the picture. Blood bath. I immediately took him to the vet, where they flushed it, found no major damage, and said it just had to grow out.

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For weeks I couldn’t ride Halo on anything except asphalt, otherwise he’d limp.  This is a little concerning when you’re leaving in a month to haul halfway across the country to horse show.  So I did what I could to keep him fit and went all Ireland-style, with lots of road trotting and long forward walks (a forward working walk in a frame works the same muscles the horse uses when galloping!). If I never trot on the road again, it will be too soon.  It worked though, Halo was the most fit he’s ever been. The weekend before we were set to leave I went and XC schooled with Trainer to get the green light or red light… we got the green light!

As for Coconino itself…  Chance already blogged about it so I’ll spare you the details and post cute pictures of Herrlerr and I instead.  Can anyone guess the most shocking thing about the whole trip?  I spent 13 days pretty much 24/7 with Chance and she’s still alive!  I know, I am shocked too.  You never know your own personal strength until you’re put in that kind of extreme circumstance. Plus the ride home would have been BORING alone, so I resisted the urge and didn’t push her into the Grand Canyon. It would have been SO easy to scoop her up and flip her over. There’s always next year… 😉  (Editor’s Note: I think Bobby is just mad because I like to refer to him as “my sidekick”)

Here are the boys at our overnight layover location in Clovis – Halo didn’t stop staring at the Air Force base the entire time. “Herrlerr nerrr lerrrrk plerrrrrns”

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DUSTIN!  He rode with us to his parent’s place in New Mexico (in the truck… not on that horse…).

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“Herrlerr good boy, Herrlerr cart daddy’s ass around show jumping.”

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I am just a passenger at this point…

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My rule of the thumb: NEVER EVER under any circumstance walk up to a BAT (Big Ass Table), just shield your eyes as you walk past!  Look how huge is that F***ING thing is!!!

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Two weeks and I didn’t walk up to that thing until the last day, and guess what? It jumped like a dream!

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This was the Training corner (see rule above about BATs).

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Halo has so much heart and so much talent, I’ve never ridden a horse who loves his job so much.  #BestHorseEver  P.S.  Can you see Chancercise’s further influence on me in this picture?  Halo is actually poulticed and wrapped (in red  – color coordination, duh!) and he has hoof pack in his feet. (Editor’s Note: The poultice and hoof pack in question are mine. See my good deeds? Bobby basically counts as a charity case.)

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Halo and I were 1st in Training the first weekend and 4th the second weekend.  This  picture was probably Chance’s 20th attempt at the ribbon photo – Halo doesn’t like to pose with ribbons and isn’t shy about making his opinion known.

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Da boyz…  Herrlerr love Henny!!!  Total besties… but only AT the show. When they get home they’re all pinned ears and threatening to bite each other.

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I cannot wait to go back to Arizona again next year – it was the most fun ever!

Three weeks after we got back from Coconino, Dustin and I departed for vacation in Iceland and Greenland.  I really hate writing so here’s more pictures with captions…

YAY Iceland!

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Upon arrival we went straight to the Blue Lagoon where someone (ME) got a surprise marriage proposal!

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And of course I said yes!! Remember the saddle?  He supports my horse addiction – KEEPER!  Chance is still in tears about the fact that I’m officially off the market.

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After our Icelandic wedding, the second week was our honeymoon – so naturally we had to experience the ‘Tölt ’ on Icelandic Horses. Dustin is such a sport.

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And, well… that was my summer in a whirlwind, so….

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58 thoughts on “Bobby’s Summer Update”

  5. um, best summer ever. congrats on the kick ass ponying and locking down a good one. i though the saddle was the engagement ‘ring’…

    also iceland is the tits!!! did you get a massage at the blue lagoon? bc if you didnt you have to go back, best massage ever.

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    1. I also didn’t walk up to that thing until after both shows were done! I had no idea how freaking wide it was – which is good cause when I am scared I just puuuuuuuuuull to the base.

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  21. Holy crap – congrats, Bobby!! 😀 The coke bottle incident gave me the shudders, but the proposal and wedding made up for all of it! That’s so romantic and awesome!

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  22. Congratulations on all. the. things! What a spectacular summer you had! Gunna be hard to top it but I have faith in you Bobby 😉

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