Well, it finally happened. My Pivo finally glitched and ate my video footage. I always read about people having random issues here and there – it’s technology after all, and susceptible to app glitches – but I’ve never had an issue with mine before. I guess I was overdue. SUPER bummed though, because the footage it lost was probably the best flatwork I’ve ever gotten from Presto, as well as his first attempts at trotting through a little grid (with everything set down to just poles on the ground) and cantering some single poles.

Luckily I didn’t lose totally everything. I had the first 10 minutes of warmup, after which I realized I’d forgotten to put my phone in airplane mode, so I went over to the Pivo and stopped the first video, closed everything, put my phone in airplane mode, and started a new video again. I didn’t want it to drop the video, which it can do if you get a phone call or tons of notifications while videoing, hence airplane mode. Trying to be careful ultimately bit me in the ass though, because when I went back over after we were done and hit stop, the whole app crashed and it didn’t save. Boo. Granted it’s the first real issue I’ve had since I got the thing last spring, so I guess I can’t complain too much. I’m mostly just sad that it lost the footage it did. Pivo, I thought we were friends.

Since I have no actual proof of anything besides warmup, you’ll just have to take my word for it that any of these things happened. Media fail.

Presto is at that really fun point where he feels more and more “broke” with every ride. Buttons are quickly getting installed, and brick by brick a real horse is starting to form. He’s still mega unfocused and goofy but he’s a quick learner and things are definitely getting easier as he gets stronger. It was the first time I’d ridden him in the jump field in a while, which can be kind of a challenging space for a baby since it’s 1) on a bit of a slope 2) got a lot of trees in it that require relatively exact steering lest you hit one. He’s moving off the leg pretty well now, and the straightness is much improved, so I no longer feel like I might end up decapitated if I ride him in there.

I set up what will eventually become his “learner” grid – a really simple trot in canter out one stride. I like starting them in a grid with placement poles to help them figure out their feet and straightness and get them making a good shape in the air without the rider having to interfere much. For now I left it at poles so he can trot through and work on being straight and rhythmical, but eventually I’ll start building it up to crossrail to vertical and then crossrail to oxer. We’ve also been cantering single poles, so he can start to sort out what to do with his feet from a variety of distances (he’s got the long one down pat but the legs tend to go every direction when we get to a short one – compressing the step is still hard).

I think I’ve decided that we’ll aim for March being his first actual horse trial. The local farm that has little schooling shows caters to the very low levels, starting from literally poles on the ground and going up through BN. I think he’d easily be able to do the Green as Grass division, which is like 2′ with really basic little XC and does Intro Test C. The dressage might be super drunk and the whole thing might be very distracted, but he could go do it easily and a really small show like that is the perfect first event to dip his toe into this eventing thing. It’s close, so he doesn’t have to spend half the day in the trailer or stay overnight somewhere, and if we have any problems they’re super friendly about giving you the time you need to work it out and end on a good note. So that’s officially penciled in on our calendar… we’ve got a month and a half to prepare.

Sometime in the next few weeks I want to take him back over there to school again so he can get in their dressage ring and practice going out on the XC course by himself with no buddy to hold his hand. That combined with his 2 second attention span will probably be the biggest challenge. The jumps themselves will be the easy part I think, its everything in between that I’ll have to manage.

In the meantime I have heard precisely zip zilch zero and nada from any of the brand reps or saddle fitters I’ve messaged and emailed in the past week. Literally crickets from all of them. Big. Heavy. Sigh. I want to give you money, people! Take my money!