Dressage and Show Jumping

We got back from the dressage and show jumping rallies late yesterday evening (10:30ish) - a very exhausting weekend but so much fun!

During the dressage competition on Saturday, E chose to complete the easiest tests, with a reader, and managed to score a 59 on Test B and a low 60's on Test A. Very respectable for her first time out. As a team (Pony Club rallies are team events, so individual scores are added together to get the "team score" for ranking), her group placed 5th out of 6 (one competitor forgot her test - hence a bad score) BUT they scored first in horse management! Not an easy thing to do, btw. E was very happy with the results and thinks their stable manager (a fellow pony clubber from her club who chose to keep the team members on track rather than ride himself) was awesome. He definitely made sure they were up to snuff on their animal and tack care and kept them on schedule for all the required inspections and competition times. Stable manager is an important job in the Pony Club rally world.

Sunday was the show jumping rally. Being fairly new to jumping, E and Monte entered the crossrail division. And this time E was moved to what is called a "catch team" comprised of 4 riders and a stable manager who came from 3 different clubs. The highlight of the day for E and Monte was that they ended up with a perfect score - no faults made during their two jumping rounds and no penalties accrued for horse management! Her team ended the day in first place for both overall team competition and in horse management.

We tent-camped during the rally, which was fine except that it did get a bit cold at night (around 48) and there were no showers available. On Sunday I found a friend with an RV and begged a short shower from them - oh the joy of hot water coming from above!

E was super exhausted by the rallies, but like last time, thought it was totally worth it.

Looking forward to our next Pony Club event at the end of the month!

Budding Dressage Princess

E has been prepping for her upcoming Dressage Rally with a few extra lessons. This is the first time she's ever really focussed on this discipline but it already seems to be a good fit for her personality. So good, in fact, that her instructor commented at the end of the first lesson that she forsees E becoming a "Dressage Princess."

I wonder what Monte thinks about this. :)

I finally figured out all the confusing entry forms for our upcoming trip to the Deary, ID, horse camp at the end of June. By joining Pony Club I feel like I've learned a whole new horsey vocabulary! I think this will be a very fun trip, though, and totally worth all the effort to get there.

Free horse?

I was offered a free horse last week - a (supposedly) nice, white older Arab. I seriously considered taking it - or at least taking a look at it - for a day or two. But then my better judgment kicked in. The woman giving it away has hit some hard financial times and needs to re-home her horse ASAP. That's fine, I get that. But....if we take the horse and it doesn't work out, I can't give it back like I've been able to do with previous animals we've tried (remember Ginger?). So we could potentially be stuck paying board for an animal that we don't want.

So I said no.

Last Tuesday E's 4-H group did some work out at our old horse barn. Friend A is struggling right now (her mom is seriously ill) so we all pitched in and cleaned stalls and water troughs. Afterward, a few of the girls exercised some of her horses. E got to ride a cute little Appy named Boomer. Boomer is about the same size Curly was, but with tons more training. And Boomer has just about the smoothest trot E has ever ridden; she was so happy up on his back, going around the arena.

Boomer's big flaw is that he is spooky, just like Monte. He thinks everything is going to eat him. But unlike Monte, E said he gives you a little more warning before he jumps plus he's bigger, so it's just plain easier to sit whatever he dishes out. She REALLY likes him.

And he's for sale.

So then we ask the question - are we buying a horse for me or for E? E thinks I would like Boomer. And he would more than meet my needs. But if we are buying with her in mind, we'd have to see if he has the potential to handle her jumping and dressage needs.

Oh, and remember the no-name-horse we named Quinn (who has been renamed again to Ceasar)? Well, he was out at the barn too, and looking oh-so-beautiful. And I mean really beautiful. I heard that he is now receiving some training and that he has a beautiful English trot - nice extension, high energy, plus he likes to jump. He's for sale too.

I'm getting that anxious feeling in my stomach again.

Games Rally

Quiet barns at the Games Rally

E and I attended our first Pony Club rally this past weekend up in Wenatchee. I was totally anxious before we left, not knowing what to expect. Plus I was nervous about hauling the horses so far (180 miles) but everything went like clockwork and we had a great weekend.

This is the first horse competition in which E got through the whole event without at least one spat of tears. She was actually happy, laughing and smiling pretty much the entire weekend! And I think the difference was that NO PARENTS are allowed to assist the children in the barn area. We were totally banned from setting foot in the barns, in fact. The kids had to help each other (which they did very nicely) and there were a few adults assigned to various duties that were allowed to help if asked. It was amazing to watch all these kids work together and support each other.

E did get sick on Saturday - had to hop off her horse during the clinic, run to the bathroom, throw up and then hopped back on to complete the session. I insisted that she nap during the afternoon (thus missing part of the clinic) and I filled her up with medicine while she rested. She was good to go by late afternoon and had tons of fun "horsing" around with a bunch of the kids until bedtime.

Her team was made up of one other girl from her home club (Macy) and two other girls she had never met before. None of the four were super accomplished riders but they all seemed to enjoy the races. I asked E later if it frustrated her that some of her teammates chose to walk the relays rather than trot them and her reply was that no, that's what they needed to do and really the whole thing was about having fun and just finishing the races, not winning. What an awesome kid she is! :) In the end, they got second place for the junior division.

E and Monte, morning jog-out inspection

While E was taking care of herself and her teammates, I was chaperoning another team comprised of little girls ranging in age from 6 to 9. The 6 year old had to be the cutest thing I ever saw on a pony! She did most of her races lead-line but every once in a while she'd attempt one without the help. Her pony, Sweetie, was fairly cooperative but sometimes would decide, "I'm done" and just stop in the arena. So a coach would have to jog out with a lead rope and lead the two through the rest of the course. Too stinking cute!

The girls I chaperoned

"My team," running back after lunch

E and Monte have been focusing on jumping lessons for the past couple of months so I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised when Monte decided that he was supposed to jump over the white lines painted on the arena floor. It was pretty funny to see him hesitate over some chalk and then take a giant leap.

E and her chaperon talking before the final gaming session

Oh, and I almost forgot, E's chaperon gave her a new pair of half-chaps! I couldn't believe it - these things aren't cheap (and she wouldn't let me pay her for them). They were her daughters and she has been looking for another super tall, very skinny girl to give them to....pretty much describes E!

Overall, I'm totally sold on Pony Club rallies now. I know that not all of them will be as relaxed as this one is, but I can see how they are designed to empower the kids and create a safe, fun atmosphere. Next rally is in June - dressage and jumping.

Compliments

Yesterday Monte had a hoof trim. As our farrier was finishing I made a point of complimenting him on his work. He really has improved the angle and look of Monte's hooves over the past year. When we first got the horse, he appeared to have a bit of a "post-foot" in the back - almost straight up-and-down.

Mike's reply was, "Well, I always knew there was a good hoof in there just waiting to come out. And it helps that Monte is so well put together and has such good confirmation."

I have to admit that I felt unreasonably proud of our little horse at that moment and I swear you would'a thought Mike was complimenting me or one of my children! So silly! :)

Today we are preparing for a Pony Club clinic and rally in Wenatchee (180 miles away). I'm a little nervous about hauling that far, especially since we are taking another Pony Clubber's horse with us.

Figuring it out

Monte seems to have figured out what all those poles out in the arena during lesson time are meant for. E's instructor, Marla, set up several different jumps and he actually went over them quite nicely. Monte did have a couple of "young horse" moments, knocking over jumps completely, refusing a new set-up during the first attempt and getting squirrely enough at one point to unseat E, but overall they had a great lesson. E is becoming a stronger rider and is able to help Monte through all his little upsets.

Marla commented that he's becoming a good little jumper and that both E and Monte are doing great together. She doesn't see his size as too much of a hindrance to E at this point in time, and suggested that he might even be able to see E through her whole Pony Club experience.

I'm just happy to watch E and Monte work together. They truly have a great bond.

Riding with Pony Club

Pictures from last Sunday: