Not to be

Still no truck of any sort, so I had to scratch Friday's show--the first recognized one of the year. Good thing I changed next weekend's 3-1 test to 2-2 because that's now two less times to get ring riding in. 

Ughhh, I'm so fucking pissed and defeated right now. I can't believe these mother fuckers have basically been holding my $20k truck hostage for going on five weeks now with zero fucking work being done. Like, what the fuck is going to be accomplished first at this point: my truck, my MRI for my knee, or my helmet from Mary's I ordered in March arriving? 

Trick question: ALL THOSE THINGS ARE NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN IN MY LIFETIME APPARENTLY.

I had two really good rides over the weekend leading up to what I had planned for my show lead up. 

Last Saturday BM and I met up to jump out in the field because it was the only spot the footing wasn't cement. I went in with plans to put in a solid flat school before jumping, but honestly I wasn't in to it plus I was breaking in brand new tall boots so it was a quick w/t before moving into the canter and popping over the X. He actually thought about stopping at it, so I laid my crop on his shoulder and he loped over. I did that one a couple more times with decreasing effort on Opie's part. Fortunately BM jumped off and put the two stadium jumps out there up to 2'6 (a vertical and a swedish oxer). 

The vertical was easy, we did the tire jump a few times, and then I had to give myself a little mental kick in the ass to go over the oxer--which we did with ease and zero issues. 

BM gave us the course she had her lesson kids do the day before which was a whole bunch of turning and a bending line. Opie nailed everything, including the flying change! I felt like I was riding like a fucking champ too which is a rare but awesome feeling when you put any poles in cups let's be real. 

watching momo be the one to make bad choices for once

The next day I schooled him in the double. He was on point and with me every step. It was maybe a twenty minute school hitting the simple changes, counter canter, medium trot, and some lateral work. 

Monday he had off as planned, and then I wanted to school Tuesday and Wednesday, give him Thursday off, and then show on Friday. 

I started Tuesday off with a bunch of work on the halt that somehow broke. 

the amount of drama it takes to get a square halt is unreal

Once that shit fit was squashed, we moved on to a god awful tense trot that I had to fix, then reeled it back in to the trot to get the SI and HI correct. 

LOL, or not.

He nearly got me off a few times, and there were a few times I thought he was going to flip into the wall. All because I asked for SI from the walk. 

Good times. 

I was eventually able to end with some canter to solidify the simple change, but needless to say both our brains were shot after that. Shit just wouldn't settle the fuck down anywhere else in my life either, and I was like, "Fuck it, I don't ever want to ride any horse pretty much ever again tbh."

BM bullied me into coming out on Friday for a flat ride which I was not at all enthused for. Opie went around like a First level horse, had the shittiest canter on the planet I forced myself to fix, and then I had another mental breakdown over the broken halt and still not knowing how the fuck to ride a turn on the haunches. In short, it did nothing for me. 

We're going xc schooling Monday so I knew I should responsibly put in some sort of ride between then and tomorrow, but it took everything in me to drag my ass to the barn before his body work appointment and put a saddle on. With the chaos of tree removing and a flooded outdoor, all I was left with was trail riding. I made the most of it and did some fitness work around the field--medium trot to collected trot over and over and over. I felt like my knee was going to fall off, but the puppy had a super time and Opie worked up a little sweat and then got to cool out with a couple friends when we were done so small wins. 

He was unsurprisingly very much into his full body PEMF session, so hopefully between that and a mental break with the xc school I'll have a right-minded horse for Houghton. 

And, you know, a god damned mother fucking TRUCK.