We're a TEAM!!!!!

 Today was a really good day!!! The kind of day where you literally have to stop and gush your praises to God! I'm so grateful and so blessed!

 

I got up and rode Dan this morning and then Lyric and I headed to Aiken. Mike is out of town so I hauled her up there and schooled XC and then left her there with Jacel and the crew. I came back home to take care of the critters here and then I'll drive back up there at 5 am tomorrow morning and show. Unfortunately there's some serious thunderstorms so I hope Lyric is okay. But if I was there, I'd be worried about the ones at home, so... And quite frankly... nothing I could do about it either way. I'm glad and thankful though that Jacel offered to take care of her tonight because I think having her haul two hours, school, haul two home, then haul two back up to show and two back home is a bit much. Especially with this awful heat and humidity. So yay!

 

Anyways, we got to Aiken and found our stall. It's such a small show. Only 18 riders total! So it was nice because it was so low key. Both Lyric and I were much more emotionally regulated today. I got her some water and hay and then after she chilled for a bit I tacked up and we headed out. Jacel rode Moose while she coached us and Mack had her kids ahead of us. Lyric was really good and calm and we warmed up quite nicely. She threw her shoulders a few times but I was able to steer her body much more effectively today, which gave me confidence. Then we schooled. And she was Amazing!!!! She had zero stops today. She was brave and bold and forward. And I was able to steer and ride her which gave me confidence. We were both happy and brave and it was just so much fun! We basically schooled the whole course in pieces. And I told Jacel that I was tickled because "the course looked small to me!" Now granted, it was small compared to Chatt last weekend. I think. But mostly I think it looked small to me on Lyric. Which is huge!! Ha ha. Because normally things look so big when I'm on her because I don't quite trust us yet. Funny I know will jump, so things don't look as big when I'm on her. But today... I was brave. We jumped almost the whole course but by the end, we skipped the smaller things. We even got brave and jumped the novice hanging log jump 4 or 5. We jumped the novice hanging log to the ditch. And then we even jumped the training drop to the ramp. Or maybe it was novice... But it was a ramp!! A big ramp! Oh, and we jumped the fun tree branch in between the two trees at the second water. And she jumped that so smoothly out of stride!!!  I am soooo proud of her. When we started she was still being cautious and smart and almost hesitating that last little bit. And she definitely wants to add. BUT... it wasn't her usual stop and prop. It was more of a little peek to be extra cautious. That's a good thing! And I'm getting better and not throwing my shoulders at her. But as we went, I got a bit braver about closing my leg and almost encouraging her to keep going. I don't want to chase her or scare her. I want to allow her to process. And I definitely can't throw my shoulders at her or get ahead of her. BUT.... if I almost encouraged her to be braver, she would! She started taking off from a bit backed off vs getting in so deep. And that tiny bit of hesitation resolved. And a time or two, I got lucky because I saw the distance and jumped for her. And because it was the right distance, she took off them too. It wasn't like I was jumping a stride too early (which I"ve also done plenty of times and it sucks). But I didn't quite wait for her to jump, so if she had wanted to stop, she could have. But she didn't! And by the end, we were mostly sailing over things right out of stride! We even finished with the novice big table at the end of the course. Although I didn't quite give her the encouragement I should have so she was a little sticky over it, but only a very little bit. And she went! Whoo hooo!!!

 

It was such a good ride. It gave me so much confidence and her too! We're getting it, we're totally getting it!!! 

 

Poor girl was so hot though. Me too! It was so steamy and hot compared to how it has been. I untacked her and let her drink and then we grazed while we waited for the washrack. She got rinsed off, got a bath, and then a light liniment rinse. Then more grazing. And then she got to go sit under the fan in her stall and chill. I fed her dinner and then headed home. I hope she isn't freaked out by the storms and sleeps well! And hopefully tomorrow will go as well as today! 

 
While we were schooling I had to stop and tell Jacel how grateful to God I was for the horses I had. How blessed am I?!! All three of my ponies are going well and I'm now having to decide which horse to show! And they are all so fun. And I'm so grateful too for all the people God put in my life.... Jacel and her kids are such inspirations and Jacel has been so important in my journey with each horse. I love how she just gets them... she understands them and what they need. And she understands me and gets me. Ahhh... it was just... such a good moment. Life is so good I had to sing Praises to Him! 

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