Tack Sale, Hunter Pace, and Making Progress

Thought it was about time for an update!

I got to ride Granite 4 days last week, which is enough to make me happy. We had snow last Monday and it was in the mid-60s by mid weeks. So the ring has been slop-City, but we've been able to work pretty well in the dryer portion.

We've been working on our homework from February's lesson. I've been letting G have his head at the canter. We've been concentrating on setting up for transitions. We've been leg yielding. We've been going back and forth over a small cross rail at the trot and canter (me in 1/2 seat) to let G figure out how to get the feel for fences.

It is working :) I've had more consistent collection, more ease in lateral motion and on Wednesday, for a brief moment, it clicked and my horse learned how to jump! Of course, by Thursday, the munchkin forgot. But, you know what they say about young horses... 1 step forward, 2 back. He is trying however, and that's enough for me! The days are getting longer and last week and this week are relatively calm at work (meaning I can leave the office at 5:15 and be to the barn by 5:30). Unfortunately, it's raining and plans to do the same on Wednesday and Friday... just enough to never allow the arena to dry! I shall use the time to go to the gym and do some work on MY fitness!

I had a fabulously horsie weekend :) I spent Saturday at the Equestrian Exchange (Check it out, it's a huge consignment tack sale... amazing). I ended up with:

A used brown leather bridle with flash nose band and webbed reins -$25
very used Figure 8 Nose Band (for the heck of it)- $6
New (retails at $72) Avalon Standing Martingale (don't need it yet, but hopefully will)- $30
Beval Open Front Jump Boots - $12
Loose Ring, French Link 5.25inch bit- $14
Box of Thin Mint Girl Scout  Cookies- $4

He is sporting most of his new gear in the crappy cell phone photo bellow. Everything Fits! Score!
And no, I did not share the cookies :)

Oh and to top it off Eva and I traded girths. I had one (she gave me for my 24th bday) that was too small for G and she had a spare that was too large for her boys, so we swapped and the new one fit G! YAY.

After that lovely shopping trip, Daphne had a vet appointment and I found time to try everything on the horse and then ride him in (most) of it. We don't need the figure 8 or martingale at this juncture in our training. After that, our barn owenr invited us to join her family and some friends to roast marshmellows and hot dogs in the fire pit at her house. TK came out and it was nice to spend some time with everyone.

Sunday morning found me up in the hour of 6am... for the second day in a row. Dianne invited me to (OK, I invited myself) to ride with her and her friend Cheri at the YVH Hunter Pace (check them out-- great group!). I rode one of Dianne's horses (large, 8yo, Spotted Saddle horse mare) and met up with Jen and we all enjoyed a slow ride through acres of gorgeous trail. How lucky am I?! Loved it. We came in 6th (and the group we set out with who came in a bit behind us got 1st). But, ribbons aside, I loved getting to get out of the arena, even if it wasn't with G. 

Sounds like, weather and circumstances permitting, Dianne and her friend Cheri may be willing to come pick Granite up (he is too large for our barn owner's trailer) and take us to a great park about 4 miles from our farm. Hopefully our barn owner can follow us over with her mare. And we can all ride together. This will be G's first trip ANYWHERE to ride. We've done some trails on adjacent properties that we have walked to, be we have never hauled him anywhere to ride. I'm stoked (nervous as well). Cross your fingers that it works out for us. But if not, we have LOTS of work to do and we can always venture to the nearby trails.

Yay for longer days and more time in the saddle. The pony is really coming right along and I sure do enjoy my time with him!