Show Some of Those Pearly Whites!

Happy faces for Tess! (Tess VA CCI*)

For the life of me I have never been able to figure out why people would pay lots of money for a horse that they could just sit on and have the horse behave perfectly. I know that sounds stupid, but I just have no fun going along for the ride, to me, it is much more fun to help the horse along the way. For me, I love the work on the young horses, I am very proud of the fact that three of the four horses I have competed at preliminary were started by me, from beginner novice on. I have never found it fun to just "sit there" on a horse...I outgrew my rocking horse long before it outgrew me.

Clif wants to know why the Jolly Green Giant's Bed was on the XC course.(Clif VA Intermediate)

All that was until I rode Clif this weekend at Lumber River Horse Trials. He was, as usual at preliminary, quite perfect all weekend. His dressage was not super, but it was fine, it was horribly hot already at 7:40 in the morning and he just lacked a bit of energy to make his scores higher. He got a 33 which put him in 2nd out of 10 or so horses. He did XC next, got to love those classic events...dressage, xc, sj! It was a VERY long course considering the heat, well over 5 and a half minutes, with quite a few questions; that was good for Clif he needed to have some serious preliminary questions so his confidence could get back up to where it needed to be. He was amazing on XC...I kept thinking to myself the whole time he was galloping how lucky I am to have such a fun horse. He genuinely loves what he does, and he and I have a partnership that will probably never be repeated, whether I ride for another year or another 40 years; we know what the other one is thinking, it is a bit creepy really. He galloped around with a loop in the reins like he was just going for a stroll. He was perfect and was the only horse to make the time, which I was surprised by because he really did feel like he was just bopping along. He was also quite perfect in the Show Jumping. He was, once again, the only horse to have a double clear show jumping round. He is a super jumper and is just so rideable that all the striding has become easy for him. He won the entire event, not that it would have mattered what place he got, but he was great, he deserved his very first victory gallop! This was his first victory gallop even though he has won 3 of the 4 prelims he has competed in this year, he has a pretty impressive record at preliminary, being 1st three times and 4th once this spring

Tess almost looks like a dressage pony! (Tess VA CCI*)

Little princess is also doing well. She has gone back to work and is loving it! I was fully expecting protests and anger, but she went into the dressage with ears forward and head down...I am very worried that someone has given me a look-a-like! She is just going back to normal work and will have some time to get more muscle with less competing. She probably will not go out in public until August :)...she will not be very happy! But, I am happy with that plan...she deserves to take some down time to keep everything simple and basic for a while, she tries so hard.

Tess decided that the bank was too small, so she made it bigger! (Tess VA CCI*)

Little Irish is going along quite well too! She has now gone on her first hack, and after figuring out that mud is not actually quicksand, she was super! She is not intimidated by much..the fields have just been mowed and the hay baled...most horses freak at the big round bales the first time they see them, not her, she went right up, grabbed a bite, then went back to walking. She can now walk, trot, canter on a long rein very happily; she can also pick up both canter leads on the first try! Just do not get caught in a rain storm with her! She HATESSSSSSSSS being rained on...what a strange little horse.

Little Tuc...that is how I actually refer to her 24/7 ...is turning out to be quite the little monster, in a good way. She is already bored just walk/trot/cantering around. She walks over the poles on the ground and that thinks that is good fun...but I can already tell in about week, trotting over them will be fun and walking will only create more boredom. Talented and knowing it at 3 is a bit rough...I'd prefer she think she was a bit overwhelmed..because she sure does not right now..but I do!

On a personal note, I have some exciting news! It looks like I will be moving mid-July to Summit Point, WV....what??? WV...yes WV! I will be working for Sharon White for probably at least a year. I am very excited! I know it will be very hard, I am not new to the working student thing, but this will be all new; new people, new horses, new places, ekkk! I am hoping to be able to take both horses, still working out the logistics of that, but hopefully all of it will come together. July is coming quickly....I need to start packing!!!

Tess missed the notice that most horses are tired after their first three day! (Tess VA CCI*)

Everyone take care, drink lots of water :)

Hillary

The Whirlwind Continues

I hope everyone is enjoying the nice weather and much needed rain we have been having!

The last week has been filled with cleaning, hanging on for dear life and even a quick vacation!!The clean up after VA HT every year is crazy...the red clay does a number on just about everything from the chairs, to the trunks, to the horses pretty white socks....much cleaning was necessary.

Tess had a much deserved break for the last week,but she is already bored, so she started walking yesterday! She is sooooo very happy about this. It is so funny how much doing the CCI* changed her (or else she changed due to the unknown causes..whatever); she hangs out by herself in the field, she does whatever she wants whenever she wants, it does matter if the horses think it is fun or not (this most certainly did not happen in the past! She was such a groupie!). She also is incredibly cute (big surprise I know!) about everything these days, she lovessssss her cookies and comes when I call her..and if I get Clif out before her, she trots as fast as she can to get to the gate and waits for me in something that resembles patience for being so stupid for not grabbing her first! I am so proud of her for the other week, I think everyone is sick of hearing about it.

Clif also had a few days off last week and walked for the rest of the week. He has now gone back to work as of yesterday! He is so full of it, you would think he had just done the Olympics and I am forcing him back to the low life of a preliminary and intermediate horse-- HA, maybe he should start jumping around those intermediates first! I am not entirely sure what his plan his, he will run a preliminary or two this summer and then we head back out to the big kid play pin in the fall. He just needs to get even more muscle over the summer so he can support this ridiculous spur of the moment spaz attacks.

Last week was also BABY WEEK! I started riding our two babies, Irish and Tuc, who are both unraced TB's and are 3.

Irish is sooooo ridiculously people friendly I want a shock collar to make her go away...just kidding, it is nice to be wanted! She is very sweet and brave; she is still adjusting to why in the world being ridden daily is necessary, but she is LOVING the cookies that follow the riding! Great, I've addicted another one!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuc, I am 100% in love with (just don't tell Clif or Tess, Tess already HATES her), she is Tess's sister and you know it. She has these great floppy ears, I have taken to calling her the next Northern Spy...he he, no high expectations for her or anything :). She is very very smart and has yet to actually get in trouble for bad manners, which with me is seriously impressive, I hate it when my horses are rude.

Lucky for me I also got to go on a 3 day vacation to the lake! It was sooo needed and welcomed. I'm sure the horses appreciated me being gone for once and I appreciated not being stepped on and smelly for 2 days. I have also found the downside of having plants...that stupid miracle grow feeder things...IT WILL NOT WORK RIGHT...I have given up, I'd rather hand water them with diluted fertilizer. I will keep everybody updated on our plans...for now though, my main plan is to not get bucked off the babies!

Take care!

Hillary