FPC Ultimate 2-phase.

  This past weekend was our pony clubs show! After mowing, flagging, moving, and hammering stakes like crazy   our event was finally set up and ready to start.

(For those of you that dont know, and Ultimate two phase is a HTS mushed is to two phases. So you have your normal dressage phase, then your jumping phase is a 6 jump stadium course then you go straight out to Cross Country)

  Saturday was Keiko's turn to show at the FPC ultimate. We did Beg. Novice! She was really good in dressage considering I got on 5 minutes before my test. Thank god for Grace being there and knows all my equipment so she knew what went on Keiko, or else I would have been screwed. It was a scatter brained day for me. I was late getting on for dressage because I wanted to make sure our clubs D's that were competing knew their courses like the back of their hand. After my test, Grace yet again came to the rescue and took care of Miss Keiko because I was the only one at the show who knows how to work StartBox. Go Figure. It was fine we just got scores up a little late. Once posting the majority of scores I was yet again, a little late for jumping. Gosh I love Keiko for being such a sport <3. She was fantastic. In the stadium portion of the jumping we knocked 2 rails (totally my fault) and in XC she was spot on :) We ended the day with a 2nd place ribbon. I was so proud of my Keiko Mare. Once getting Keiko set with a full hay bag and plenty of water, I was up to post scores again! Fun fun day :) Congrats to everyone that competed and a big THANK YOU to everyone who helped out!

Right after our test <3

Now to get ready for Keiko's 1st USEA event. SNOWFIELDS!

Judy Westlake Camp Day 2&3

     

First off, Congrats to our regions pony clubbers who went to the USPC Festival!

Day #2:
     After the 1st day of camp with Dixie, I decides to switch horses and take Ryn! She had a little sleep over at Infinity Farm Due to our 1702 ford breaking down on the way home from day 1. On Thursday a close friend picked me and Ryn up (THANK YOU BROOKE) she was a little nervous, 1st time with a gooseneck. It is not much different than a bumper pull and she did great. Yet again, I can't really say anything I have not driven a trailer, car, truck, or anything else with a motor over 25mph. (Stupid Milo Driving School). Anyway, the camp went great! We did some stretches and strengthening exercises before we got on. One of them was this rotating stool Judy has and we had to use our core to move our hips to what ever way we're going and not move our upper body. That's hard for me. Either everything wants to stay too stiff and nothing moves or, my body is too loose and I do the "Ashley Wiggle" with my shoulders (Gail phrase). I have NO clue where I got that from.....Thank you Green horses :D.
   I was in the 1st group to ride. Who ever said there is know such thing as perfect, is wrong because Ryn was perfect. The exercise while we were on was to use our seats to steer, and she had us put a whip in our front belt loops with our hands under it, so the whip sat in the crease of our arm. It was really good for me because I tend to tilt forward on Ryn because of her gaits. So having the whip right infront of me help to keep me even over her back and reminding me to sit back.
  While the 2nd group rode we were watching them to help develop our eye on more advanced points rather than just the basic eye of correct leads, and posting diagonals. We had to write down what each rider tends to do, good and bad. Judy really was working on us to have constructive criticism, not just pointing about bad things about each rider.

Day #3:
 Today we talked over what we observed watching the lessons yesterday. Then did more exercises before getting on. We did more strengthening exercises vs. stretching and loosening. That was not good for me! I realized I am stronger than I thought. (Again thank you green horses) Which is good, but I should have stretched more because once I got on Ryn I was so tight and so was she. We had no stirrups and neck straps to hold on to-to try to plug on our seats. Not good for Ryn at all. I tried to just work her through it but then Judy gave me back my stirrups and said no strap. Ryn's back still isn't strong enough to sit the trot successfully. Plus, Her trot is huge and I cannot sit it yet. After we changed that Judy had us do another exercise. We had two whips, and we crossed them like X so the horses wither was in between the upper V.
This helped us stay straight and made us learn how to flex with our wrists instead of pulling. This worked great with Ryn. By then end of the lesson she was up and carrying herself nicely. If we did a 1st lvl test at that moment we could have done pretty good.  It was nice to bring Ryn to the camp because the last time Judyad seen us, we were not pretty. I looked like a hunt seat rider, and she looked like a giraffe. :)


 This coming weekend is our pony clubs Ultimate 2-phase! Fun fun!  

Full Schedule!

                  Wow, My horses never cease to amaze me! They have been SO good :)

           So first I'll start out with my H-B rating. It was pretty interesting. Jessica and I did great. I failed Poisonous Plants, Conditioning schedule, Structures of the Hoof, and my unmounted lesson. I was a little irritated. I thought I only failed Poisonous Plants cause I didn't study them enough, and when it came to that section my mind went blank.... They did not like my conditioning schedule because it was supposed to be something I can follow with any horse that is of the same fitness, instead it was more like a Log of what I actually did in preparation to AEC's. The Hoof part was a little ridiculous. I got all the inner and outer structures, but then she asked me was the Navicular Bursa was for, I simply answered "The navicular bursa is a synovial "sac" between the navicular bone and DDF tendon and serves to lubricate the tendon as it slides over the back of the navicular bone." and I guess she didn't like it. Also she failed me on the fact that,I forgot was the Sensitive Laminae was for. The weird thing is....She didn't ask anyone else about the functions of the parts in the hoof. So I thought that was a little funky :/. My Unmounted Lesson was kind of my fault. I had a great lesson for Cross country Jump Identification :D. I had two D-3's so they already knew it, and I taught  the lesson and it was too short. I planned it for 4-5 kids so there was a reason it was short. So I was kind of upset about it and I'm glad that a passed everything else. It was also odd that out of the two days of H-B testing 3 out the 20ish people passed.

 The Next exciting thing was the Steuart Pitman Clinic! On Friday I took Keiko. We worked on getting her straight to the fences, and pushing her forward. She was so good and jumped anything I pointed her to. On the + side Steuart REALLY liked her! Saturday I took Duelli. I was so ecstatic in the a.m. because she got on with only like 6 tries! In the lesson, I couldn't have asked her to be any better. She was literally perfect. Her 1st time on a real cross country course! Jumping ditches, banks, in&out of water, and everything else I pointed her too. I think she had way too much fun. At the end I asked Steuart what I should be working on, and he said "Nothing, keep doing what your doing." So I guess that is a good sign when a clinician says that. Better yet she got on the trailer on the 3rd try. I think I am going to be on a "OMG DUELLI WAS SO GOOD" high for a bit :) 

   Today, Tomorrow and Friday I am at Infinity Farm for Judy Westlake Camp.

I took Miss Dixie today. We worked on really stretching out before and while your riding. Oh, and learning to be more like Men. They ride with know emotions. Their horse does something wrong, BOOM correction and they continue on. Us women we don't get mad, don't get mad, don't get mad, don't get mad, then we get PISSED and take it out on everyone. Then it repeats. Which is SO true. She also said Positive emotions get in our way too. Like your jumping a course, and your horse jumps the jump he has always had trouble with and you say "GOOD GIRL/BOY" then you canter on past you next jump. I think everyone has done or is going to experience that sometime. I sure have!

Now to see what the next two days of Judy camp bring for me and Ryn!

-Ashley