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Wentworth Hunter Pace - June 6, 2021

After Margaret and I had such a fun time at the fall hunter pace, we opted to go again this spring! This time, while I rode Rejoice again, Margaret rode her horse Jester and had a friend ride Ladyhawke. All Kennebec Morgans!! Jester and Rejoice have the same dam and Jester and Lady share the same sire. Unfortunately instead of a lovely late spring day, we had one of the first intensely hot and humid days of the year. It was definitely a bummer, but the ride was mostly in the shade of the woods and we had a great time!  most of the fences were 3' coops but we found a small log and this hay to jump haha Until we didn't. 😑 We brought along a third friend who rode Margaret's older mare, Ladyhawke. She's a good rider but hasn't known Ladyhawke for very long and didn't realize how much of a cranky boss mare she could be at times. She kicked Jester right in the front leg just about halfway through the ride, and while the cut itself ended up not being a big deal in the

Hilltop Equestrian Center Horse Trials - July 2, 2017

For our third event of the year, we were back at Hilltop just two weeks after the last event there.  I was happy to see the XC course was pretty much exactly the same, with one log moved slightly, so we could have another go on a course she tackled fairly well the first time.  I was hoping to eliminate the slight hesitations and the outright stop/pony kick over the 2' black drainage pipe fence.  And I really hoped we could canter parts of the course to improve her confidence in the gait.  I took her out to canter hills and a little downed tree at home the week between the two events and she was super game and willing to canter, so I had high hopes.

No help this time around as my thirteen year old son bailed on me, hahaha.  No surprise there.  ;-)  So there is a complete lack of media.  :-(  Ahh well, there are worse things in life.

Dressage went well, with an easy warmup and decent test for a 30.9.  That put us in second place, just .9 points behind the leader.  Snappy has figured out exactly what I expect of her for dressage, so the warmup is done within 20 minutes and she easily transitions from the warmup ring to the show ring without fuss.  

I was pretty excited to go XC and she was like an old pro warming up with horses everywhere and calmly entering the start box.  She trotted out boldly onto the course and was the most forward and in front of my leg she has ever been on course.  She didn't even blink this time at the black drainage pipe!  YAY MARE!  She even agreed to canter twice on course, which was excellent.  I wish she trusted herself (and me!) more, but this was a good effort all the same.  This horse is going to do things on her own time!  The rider in first place told me she had a run-out at the black drainage pipe, so because I had gone clean, I knew I had moved up to first.  No pressure or anything!

Stadium was a different course than two weeks prior, with more turns and a bending line, which all rode well.  Again, she was a star, even cantering twice on course, landing on the correct lead and cantering all the way to the next fence.  That was super exciting to me, because this was the very first time she has been willing to canter in both jumping phases.  

We might be slow as turtles, but I am determined to get this mare's canter to a place where she is confident and willing to do it anytime and over/between fences!  I know she can do it, as her canter itself is quite good.  We have to work on the upwards transition and her own anxiety about the gait itself.  It will happen!  :-)

We ended on our dressage score and held on to first place.  Good mare!  





Comments

  1. Awesome! The win is always nice ;) It is really great to hear that she is getting more confident though! I am glad you are still showing her and having fun!

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