Benton Rodeo

I have become a bit of a gaming snob. My fellow barn mates had to put me in my place last night by reminding me that I am riding a very large event horse. That fact that he's able to go as fast as he can while making such tight turns is pretty badass. Stop whining.

dressage canter.
fellow barn mates easy to spot by their helmets.

It rained all weekend, on and off Monday, and most of Tuesday morning. BO kept asking us if we were sure we wanted to go if it was raining, and we were all unanimous in telling her, "Well, duh, BO!" There was one final heavy shower right before we left, and then it was done for the night. The best part was that the threat of rain kept a lot of people away so it didn't look like we were going to be there til midnight this year.

classic robert face, hanging out after warm up.

The footing in the ring after getting dragged was pretty deep and sticky. Bobby wasn't too happy with it, so we walked for a long time before doing a single lap of canter each way. When we were done, I went back to change into my stupid required long sleeved shirt and grab Bobby's halter and pacifier lead shank to hang out ringside and eat dinner while we waited for the show to get started.

watching the rodeo chicks arrive.

Keyhole

Amazingly, all the lessons horses had their brains in their heads this year so we didn't have to pony anyone in. Bobby was happy to hang out next to the chute with his amigos and alternated napping and watching the nuttier of horses go in.

The only incident was when the only junior in from our barn not wearing a helmet (because she is "too western" to wear one, and she never does anything that would actually require one anyway--obviously her logic, not mine), fell off the horse she was riding during her keyhole run. Mm hmm. #HelmetKarma

pre-keyhole peptalk.

Bobby had been doing pretty well with his barrels leading up to the rodeo, but I wasn't feeling to great about keyhole. Since he always does worse at shows in keyhole than at home, the fact that he wasn't even doing that hot at home was a little discouraging. However, we spent Tuesday morning at the walk and trot going into the cones repeatedly, and his turns got sharper and sharper.

The footing in the ring was actually better with all the horses that had been over it, so we went for it for keyhole. Anticipating a crappy turn, I slowed him quite a bit approaching the cones, but he did the best turn he's ever done.

We ended up with a 10.61 second run. Two full seconds faster than last year's rodeo, and a second faster than our last gaming show. However, with best horses running a fast nine seconds, we just missed on the top six--the sixth placed pair was 10.4 seconds. Not too shabby though!

Barrels

The adult division was the biggest of the night, so we had a long wait for keyhole to finish before barrels started. I commandeered a friend's step stool while she went to get food and parked it with Robert ringside to hang out.

caution: nutty ottb in the house.

Bobby spent a little too much time napping before barrels, and not being a particularly hot horse at shows anyway meant it took some time getting him "riled up" again. Plus, I'd accidentally poked him with a spur during keyhole (which I probably wouldn't even have noticed if I wasn't super paranoid about riding in these beastly things), so I'd taken the spurs off out of guilt.

sleepy horse says it's past his bedtime

Just like last year, he came running into the ring without really looking for the barrels. He was just pumped he was getting to run. That made the first barrel a bit of a mess, and the lack of spurs made the run to the next barrel super slow, but his second turn wasn't too shabby considering that's usually his worst.

Again, I felt like the whole run was in slow motion, but he still managed to pull in a 21-something run. Nothing mind blowing, but probably the best he's done yet.

Overall, way better runs than last year, and he does keep improving. Plus, yes, he is an event horse that is also doing pretty fucking fabulously in western gear.

AND! I hauled another horse with Bobby down to the rodeo grounds and killed no one. Really not too bad of a night.

Sunday Stills: Barrels

Yeah, I know. Another lackluster post. You know how many fucks I'm giving lately about my blog?

Zero.

I'm feeling exceptionally unmotivated to put any effort forth in making this puppy exciting and gripping, and I know it's showing. I'll get back on the bandwagon again soon.

Probably.

One of these days. Like when the looming threat of in-laws isn't giving me anxiety attacks. Is July over yet?

Anyway, here are some pictures from today's barrel practice. Friday we went on another trail ride and died of heat stroke; Saturday he had off.

dope-a-lope

bad flying change

good flying change

first barrel of the day

see what i'm saying with the sucking of the second barrel?
and this was a good run!

walking 

too close! 

fail

yay, barrel horse!

Let there be light!

We lost power Tuesday afternoon thanks to a monster storm, and we finally got it back late this morning.

Yay! Electricity! I love you!

pig surveys the pre-tornado watch yellow sky.

Naturally I was at the barn the last two days since there was nothing else to do but play Solitaire for hours on end, or work my way through books I didn't actually want to read since my Kindle was dead. I added my cell phone to the pile of those charging; thankfully the barn didn't lose power. Also thankfully, the only tree that went down on BO's property fell directly across the path of where my trailer gets parked. Why is that a good thing? Because I brought my trailer home over the weekend after trail riding.

Yay! No crushed trailer!

the cause for our loss of electric

Soooo, RuPaul's workouts. Yesterday was a dressage school since the outdoor was too sloppy for barrels. My plan was to get Bobby fired up, and then channel his excess energy to produce bigger gaits, a lighter front end, and lots of forward energy. He's been coasting in his flat work lately.

I had to tread lightly because Bobby can very easily go the wrong way, fall over the mental edge, and never come back. I warmed him up long and low before getting the dressage whip out and demanding straightness, working off the rail the entire time. Bobby didn't like be constantly corrected, but aside from just "Whatevs, you need to be straight anyway" it also served to get him super sassy.

He tried flying sideways, ran into the whip, had a minor spaz about meeting the whip, and tried the up and down in place tactic instead. I kept my reins light, my leg on, and resolutely kept posting. It took him the whole long side to get forward again, but once he did he was exactly where I wanted him. Mucho fancy. I let him finish with a lengthening across the diagonal and lots of patties for a smarty, sassy pants.

text break for a berry picking piglet.

Today we went back to Western Bobby. I forgot to bring the longe line up so we just did a whole lot of walking before moving to the canter. That saddle is impossible to trot in. Or really even sit in. At a halt. 

We worked mostly on the second barrel this time around. The first and last barrels are easy for him, but he still sucks at the second. He comes too wide off the turn now, but at least he's not stalling anymore. It helps somewhat if I take up a little more rein, but still not where I want it. He is, however, starting to lay down and get low around the final barrel which is too adorable. My eventing/dressage moose actually thinks he's a legit barrel horse.

LOLZ.

We also worked a little on keyhole and got some good work there. We always seem to get good work at home on keyhole though, and then it falls apart at shows. Hopefully it just magically works out Tuesday.

And that is about it, folks. Now I can go grocery shopping since my fridge is running again. Yay! Electricity! Did I already say that?

Media Dump of Little Importance

This is going to be another cop out of a post. It's hard to make trail riding and western rides sound like scintillating shit. Trail riding and western specific blogs can, and I enjoy reading those, but in my head my ride summations basically go "LOLZ, going for a frolic! Prancey prancey prance!"

And that just makes me sound like a ten year old. One with minor mental issues.

Saturday I hitched up the trailer and drove the fifteen minutes to the next town over's state game lands for a trail ride. I love trail riding, but last fall a former boarder went gallivanting through a land owner's food plot and he put the kibosh any any further trail riding from the barn. So we went from a trail ride almost every single day last year to walking the perimeter of the pastures this year. Which is BORING.

sign says go right, bobby says go left.

The game lands out there are fabulous. Wide, well kept, horse specific trails that went on forever. I pulled into the parking area next to two other trailers, got Bobby tacked up, and headed off as another trailer pulled in.

You have to cross a stream right off the bat to get to the trails and Bobby dutifully plodded through. He walked on the buckle until I felt he'd had enough time to warm up, and we picked up the trot. The trail started climbing and Bobby wanted to go so I set my hands on his withers and he picked up the canter.

nicely mowed trails

He then proceeded to canter uphill for four minutes straight before we reached a mud puddle and I made him pull up. It was a long, winding, gradual hill, but Robert channeled his OTTB and--despite not doing any fitness work in a month--he didn't take a deep breath the entire time. I think he just stood in his stall and thought about canter sets and stayed fit. That's what Thoroughbreds do, right?

the only time his naked footsies get a little ouchy were on this section of
exposed shale base. otherwise he was a barefoot beast.

Just after that we came on a group of three riders. For all the trail riding we've done, Bobby has never seen other horses on trail that he's not riding with. He walked right by them with minimal interest, but as they disappeared and the trail curved ahead, he adorably stretched his head and neck out to see if there was anyone else coming.

We broke up our time in the woods between walking and trotting, and cantered when we were in the open. We came across an offshoot of the creek and played in there for awhile.

"do not mock me for snorkeling."

Overall he was his usual steady trail horse self. Some days I feel like beating him about the head, but other days he earns his keep. He didn't call for anyone, he stood quietly at the trailer while I tacked and untacked him, he loaded right up onto the trailer and backed calmly off both times, and he was happy to go where I pointed him once out.

I had my helmet cam on, but I didn't realize until I got home that there was something nasty all over the lens. It looked like dried sweat, but I have no idea how that got there. So the videos I took are pretty much useless. Nothing exciting happened anyway.

Here's a quickie of us crossing the stream on our way back to the trailer:

After a jump school Friday and an hour and a half hilly trail ride Saturday, he got Sunday off. This morning I dug out Hubby's western saddle and spurs and gave everything a thorough once over with my Higher Standards soap.

Next week is the rodeo, bitches!

last year's rodeo.

The biggest problem Western Bobby has is his first two barrels. He can't keep his hind end up to pace with his front end coming off the turn and it wastes so much time. I warmed him up on the longe because Hubby's western saddle is the most uncomfortable thing in existence.

Once on, I started him off with some flying changes across the diagonal. His first one was downright horrendous. He changed, and then he went leaping into the air flinging his head about and refusing to steer. Yeah. Western Bobby is an asshole.

We had a Come to Jesus where I reminded him he's a dressage horse and he can fucking canter like it. His following changes were lovely.

he got his mane pulled in anticipation.
you know, in case anyone mistakes him for a real western horse.

After a walk break, I turned Bobby in towards the first barrel with a game plan in mind: Walk into the barrel, canter out of it. That way he learns that when he comes off, he goes fast. Sounds good, no?

WELL. I turned Bobby in and....he fucking took off with me! Directly toward the barrel of course, but that was not the plan. I cranked his head into my knee and he went shooting off sideways upset that I'd ruined his run. Asshole.

So I had to push the plan back a bit until he was calmly walking the barrel pattern. Eventually I got to work on what I wanted, but he wasn't really feeling it. He started anticipating getting to canter, but because he was anticipating he'd get too tense and again go shooting sideways instead of cantering forward.

The only other horse I've trained for barrels was Red, and Red was so small that he turned on a dime and went jetting off with zero issues. Bobby is a moose. I didn't know how to make him compress while keeping his brain in his head.

brain not in head.

Feeling defeated and frustrated, I grabbed my saddle horn and just let Bobby rip taking the pattern "backwards" (L-R-R) even though right is his worse direction in everything. Um, apparently that was the secret. He does neck rein, but he didn't need me at all. He whipped around the barrels all by his lonesome without slowing once.

Well, hmm. Who knew not micromanaging Bobby could yield such results?

Okay, shut up.

I let him do it a few more times since we were both finally enjoying ourselves. He was awesome. Now that I've figured out his preferences, I can work on refining his technique a bit. He turns in a little too soon and gets me in too tight which increases the chance of my leg taking a barrel down.

Urghghiegkijlgh, that was long. I hope you learned a lot. Hope you had nothing better to do. Hope you enjoyed boring between the ears pictures.

I tried so hard...

...to make up an interesting title. Something to do with it being the fourth, something about jumping, or the banging weather, or Hubby having the day off and being forced to make up our missed photo sesh from last weekend. (I guess for that last one "Sucker" could have worked. Poor old Hubby.) But I couldn't do it. I am totes uninspired.

So let's just jump right in to a quickie on this fabulous holiday!

Flatted quickly in the wet, half dragged arena for a warm up, then moved right on to a cross rail.

we really are not that good at cross rails anymore.

We went over that a couple of times without any real incidents. Bobby just doesn't feel like putting forth much effort into such small jumps any longer. Hopefully he never becomes as rude as Red Pony who would straight up refuse anything below 3'. He was seriously the naughtiest horse on the planet. Sometimes I wonder why we got along so well.

Anyway, we pretty promptly added in the 3' vertical. Bobby was jumping it with his typical "Clear all the things!!!" enthusiasm, and I got so caught up not fussing with my hands that I just let my leg do its own thing.

look at the cute pony, not the cray cray rider!

Clearly it can't be allowed that sort of freedom because it was trying to bounce. Fuck you, leg. Get the fuck back here.

A couple trips around the vertical from both directions and off to the oxer we went. I didn't realize until I got off and moved the jumps so the arena could finish getting dragged that the footing in the perfect little square of our take off spot was so deep I sank up to my ankles in mud. Bobby, however, gave zero fucks.

we came in a little underpowered and got deep the first time.
but still SO CUTE.

I revved up the engine for another go-round and not-so-surprisingly the trip went a lot smoother. Especially since I was able to slow my spastic brain down a touch and keep my legs on the bandwagon. Those fucks.

oh hey legs. welcome back.

We did it one more time for video prosperity without any issues besides jumping the X looking slightly moronic once again and called it quits. He was jumping great, the weather was amazing, and the footing wasn't really that bad, but I'm not big on jumping a lot. That probably lends itself to how slowly we progress, but I'd rather have a sound horse way, way down the line than a crippled one. Just saying.

good pony britches

Also, I am loving the figure eight and elevator bit set up on him. He's like butter in my hands. I can pick literally any pace I want and he's down with it. Of course, sometimes I fuck up what pace we should be at (Who's surprised? No one!), but when I get it right we're ballin'.

Oh, right. I have video, too.

I think I need to shorten my stirrups about three holes one of these days. You know. When I feel like enjoying the burning sensation of stressed muscles again.

Sooooooo weeeeeaaaaakkkkkk.

VCBH: Interested Parties

What made you interested in your current horse that lead you to buying them in the first place?

because he is the most talented jumper ever.

I'll be perfectly honest: I don't think I was even genuinely that interested in Bobby when I bought him. 

I wasn't waiting in anticipation for the call to come in that he was done racing. I didn't have visions of grandeur for the dude. I had land and money to spend, and I had a long history with the horse. So I contacted my old adviser/head of my college's TB program when Bobby was first retired and offered him what I thought was a pretty hefty price for a fresh OTTB with zero retraining. 

Why?

because of his exceptionally willing attitude.

I don't like sharing is why. I didn't want to hear all about how so-and-so had a lesson on him, and so-and-so jumped him for the first time, and so-and-so just loves him. Well, good for you, so-and-so. I was the first one to sit on him. I broke him out. I sent him to the track prepared to be a racehorse.

Mine, mine, mine!

because he never uses his size or strength to pull you around.

But I was turned down on my first offer, and Bobby went on to spend a year hanging out at college kind of, sort of being ridden by people that kind of, sort of, not really knew what they were doing before eventually being put on the black list for not being able to stay sound. He was due to be sent to auction when one of my former classmates texted me a head's up, and I bought him for way less than half of my original offer.

So why this time?

because his dressage skills are unparalleled. 

Pretty much the same reason as before: I had the land and money, and I wanted to parade it in front of all the obnoxious horse girls that had fawned over him in college that I was the one that ended up with him. Look, my maturity is through the roof. It can't be helped.

When I finally moved barns for the final time so far, I could only afford board on one horse. Red was obviously staying, so Bobby got re-homed with an amazing woman down in York. When I had to put Red down, she contacted me and offered him back no strings attached. I could have gone a different direction and started fresh with a new horse. But something seemed right about trying one more time with ole Bobby Magee, and we went and picked him up that weekend.

because he never throws childish tantrums for no reason.

And now somehow I think I'm just stuck with him.

because he's the most beauteous creature in existence

June Review, July Goals

June goals recap:

1. Push for a more active, engaged trot and canter during tests. We didn't get a single comment on being flat or lacking energy on any of our tests this month. Instead we broke my previous low score in eventing by three points, and scored in the mid-sixties for all three tests our second time showing First level.

2. Be aggressive with leg yields. Better. Better scores, better ridden, better my grammar is awesome. Still not perfect, but I haven't let him get away with sloppy ones at home.

3. Be more present when jumping. I haven't jumped since Plantation, but that was definitely my best stadium round from a thinking standpoint to date.

4. Buy things. Nope. Sad face. My birthday money slowly leaked away to various other things, so I still need new tall boots.

stunna

July goals:

1. Straightness. Keep those haunches from wondering off to party by themselves. They're like my right elbow--total frat boy douches.

2. Trailer out for a trail ride. Because not having access to our long, loopy trails at the barn anymore sucks. Trail ride everywhere!

3. Sharpness of the barrels. Since the rodeo is really the only thing of note I'm doing show-wise this month, we better make it count. I want Bobby's butt to stick with the program when running barrels.

4. Don't kill the in-laws. It's coming, dudes. The yearly camping and reunion agony. I'm already twitching.

Yeah. Those seem like pretty sad goals, but the final goal is all consuming.