Cool and Gus both showed at CVF in November, making it Gus's debut into the "hunter" world. Even though he just showed on the flat, it really gave me a chance to evaluate him and take perspective of where we are and where our training needs to go.
Cool showed in the Hopeful Hunters again. He is incredibly bored with the small heights of the jumps and has resorted to loosely cantering over them instead of actually jumping anymore, but he is doing well, making the numbers in the lines and is getting more confident about walking into the ring and doing his job. I did start to see a lack of fitness at this horse show, as the weather turns and I'm able to ride him less and less. By the third over fences class I literally had almost no horse left. He didn't get the lead changes this time (too tired and not forward enough) but he was excellently behaved (as usual) and he placed 3rd, 4th and 6th out of 14 horses!
After Gus's semi-poor showing at the last "pleasure" show that we went to back in October, I was pleased to see that he was back to his normal, amicable self at CVF. I really do believe that he just doesn't have super fond memories of the "pleasure horse" venue. He was quiet and perfect like he had been to CVF his entire life. We just showed on the flat, where he placed a VERY respectable 5th out of 14. Did I mention that he hadn't been ridden like...at all....prior to this show? After the class, I let two friends of mine ride him around the warm up to see how he handled other riders. D is a middle-aged amateur adult and S is a young adult college student. He was absolutely perfect for both of them....in fact, D is so in love with him now that she inquired about leasing and showing him. I'm sure that she would really love to buy him, but he's not for sale! S took him over a few small cross rails for me to watch. The G-man was ready to go! After a few awkward over-jumps he settled in and was jumping with his knees to his throat. Watching it really renewed in my spirit what had felt so crushed just a month before at the BL show. This horse has really got something, its just banged up and buried a little. Once we finally unlock it, I think that he's going to be stellar.
We are taking the month of December off from showing because of the holidays and such. Hopefully we can get back to it in January, although much of that is weather dependent :/ Ohio is not extremely conducive for outdoor riding in the winter months...which is my only option now that all three horses will be living at home for the winter while my fiance and I plan our wedding for next year.
Speaking of next year, its almost time to do a yearly look back and goal assessment! This will be soon to come in a following post! For now, it's horse show photo time!
Gus in his under saddle class
Getting rewarded for a job well done.
S hacking Gus around in the warm up...look at him go!
Another shot of S and Gus
S flatted Cool for me in the under saddle class so that I could ride Gus
Coolio doing his thing...and barely jumping such little fences
Lost my leg a little over the fence...Cool is barely even cantering over these
I like this one, his ears make him look so happy!
Another not so stellar equitation show of me, but at least Cool is somewhat applying himself. I can't wait to see what his knees look like when he actually JUMPS. I have jumped him 2'3" and have yet to feel him actually put effort into it.
As always, more next time!
Peace.Love.Ponies
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