Monday, September 24, 2012

Dressage lessons, Jumping lessons and ditches, oh my!

So I'm blowing off working on my group project paper to catch-up on my blogging.

So when I last wrote Charlie had lost his shoe just prior to shipping down to the farrier.  We ended up going to Aiken on Monday instead of Saturday.  I wish I could say the trip was uneventful but alas it was not.  I should have known it was going to be a bad drive when on the way through town (I have to drive through town to get on the local hwy i.e. 1-lane state hwy to Aiken) and because of an accident, I got rerouted through the ghetto.  With no directions on how to get out of the ghetto.  Fun times driving through the ghetto with a horse trailer.  Then, about 45 minutes from the farrier, I ran over something that did this to my trailer:

 
Left front corner.

Just behind the escape door on the left hand side.

I thought whatever it was, was just a piece of rope or thick wire.  But as soon as I was basically on top of the thing, I realized it was some sort of metal strip with huge nails sticking out of it!  I don't know how I didn't blow out a tire.  I guess after running over it with the truck, it flipped up and hit the trailer.  To say I was upset is an understatement.  

After "The Incident", things went pretty well.  Charlie was really good for Bruce and his tootsies look fantastic even with the lost shoe.  Believe it or not, he wasn't lame even though he wandered around shoeless for 3 days.  My wrapping skills must be coming back.  Heaven knows they've gotten enough practice this summer.  

Charlie got hacked on Tuesday after clinical so we didn't do too much.  Wednesday was a lesson day and he was really good.  We jumped which we haven't done in like 2 weeks and we jumped bigger than I've ever jumped on Charlie.  It was pretty funny because he jumped me out of the tack!  I'm so used to jumping little stuff that Charlie doesn't have to try over and when he put a little effort into a jump, I wasn't expecting it!  He was a total rockstar as usual.

 
SuperMom was kind enough to buy us a new breastplate - I'm so excited because I love this design.  It came from England and wasn't really that expensive - I so need to move to England!

Thursday we flatted.  It didn't start off very well - I felt like a D-2 but by the end, things were pretty nice.  I'm working on perfecting my half-halts.  Charlie's pretty good going to the left but going to the right, he tends to run through the half-halt a bit.  He gets a little locked in his jaw on the left.  Nothing awful, just something I need to keep after.

Friday was a dressage lesson with Carolyn.  We went to her farm where they were resurfacing the jump ring.  Charlie came off the trailer with his eyes bulging out of their sockets!  He was so amped, I could barely get his bridle on.  Bad horse!  He was a bit of a lunatic walking from the trailer to the ring as there was a ton to look at - heavy equipment all over the jump ring, some guy surveying with something that kept beeping, horses running around in turnout because the flies were horrendous up there, etc.  Getting on him was an adventure but he settled right down.  I was a bit shocked at how quickly he was willing to go to work considering how awful he had been.  We had a great lesson - Charlie was so ridable and really got down to business.  When the big tractor started up in the middle of our lesson, he didn't even bat an eyelash.  Didn't look, didn't twitch, nothing.  Just kept on trucking.  Wonder pony strikes again.  We ran through our test a few times and our homework is to try to perfect (as best we can!) our half-halt for this weekend.

Charlie (in the distance!) enjoying the lovely weather at home after our dressage lesson.

Saturday we flatted and Sunday was clinical.  I ran to the barn after clinical because, wait for it...it was going to be cold enough for Charlie to wear a sheet!  Total and complete win!!!

 
Charlie Sunday night.  And yes that's my ear because I don't know how to photoshop it out!

Today was another jump lesson (I'm making up for not taking any this summer!) and we did a mini-XC school.  Banks and ditches were in order and it was awesome.  SuperMom was on the scene with video to prove how awesome my horse is.  This is the second video.  Didn't have any good video of the ditch but Amy was awesome in helping us get over it.  Charlie doesn't really have a ditch issue (or he didn't) but we tried to jump a scary one in June and I think he scared himself because he kind of helicoptered over it.  But he's no longer scared of ditches.  Yay!

No more lessons until after the show.  Tomorrow I'm going to flat and maybe do some jump poles.  Wednesday he'll get off because I have clinical, Thursday will be dressage, and Friday hack/jump.  Then Saturday and Sunday will be FENCE.  Wish us luck!


6 comments:

  1. Ouchies about the trailer but I am very glad you didn't blow out any tires, too. That would have been really dangerous!

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    1. Thanks - I feel very fortunate. A few dents, while annoying, are not that big of a deal. Could have been really, really scary.

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  2. Aye your trailer!!! So sorry!

    Good luck at the show! I am sure that you will do awesome!

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    1. Thanks! I'm feeling confident so fingers crossed all goes according to plan.

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  3. Trailer driving is hazardous. Glad it wasn't any worse.

    You guys look awesome!! I love that Charlie is thinking and looking. He's totally growing up to be Cuna. Haha, if you want to retire him, you know my number. ;)

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    1. Charlie has some big shoes to fill - Cuna is pretty awesome! I'll keep that in mind - just don't change your number for the next 20 yrs or so. :)

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