Snapshot Thursday!

Testing my phone blogging skills....

Been amazingly insanely ridiculously busy with work, my summer class, getting ready for a great memorial day weekend (more on that later), and kids that I just now got a chance to ride. Cash was awesome, I think things are clicking, with the exception of bending--kinda feeling like driving a boat right now haha.  So I'll leave you with a quick pic--it rained yesterday and I was being lazy, but still wanted to ride. I give up keeping this horse clean!

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Moments of Brilliance!

My word, this horse guys!!

Every now and then, you'll have those breakthrough moments while riding your horse, where you've been struggling with something, and just keep hitting the wall, but then, for a split moment, that wall is conquered and you hit that point of achievement that you were after.  Sometimes it's a feeling that you weren't expecting to find! 

I had one of those moments today with Cash.  Forward is not his thing, at all.  He wants to take his energy up, up up up.  He's an OTTB, what can you say.  So trying to refocus and redirect that energy forward is difficult, and he fights it big time.  We were getting there, and then he lost it, and then I kept asking, gently asking, and then he decided to really take it and give me his back and hind end.  And... just WOW.  Guys, wow.  This horse has power.

You know that feeling, when, you get in a sports car and you gently press on the accelorator and the car responds instantly and you can just tell that behind that small movement is potential for pure, raw power just waiting to be released.  Yeah, that's what it felt like riding Cash today.  It felt like riding the horsey version of a turbo charged muscle car.  I've never felt that much potential power in a horse before.  And he's not even in shape right now!!

Ah, that makes me seriously excited about his training future. All I keep thinking is: medium trot

Just, wow!

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Some days....

People are ridiculous. Just saying.

Can NOT wait to get to the barn this afternoon. 

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Cash meets water obstacle

No thanks to all the rain (and hail!) we've gotten in the past few days the arena is quite muddy and unrideable.  So, me, being brave (or just plain crazy), decided to tack up my hasn't-been-worked-in-three-days OTTB and without lunging, go for a ride down the road. Should be fine, right???

Being ambitious I thought "it would be cool to ride all the way to the lake" and so we set off.... we made it almost a half-mile when Cash stopped dead in his tracks and went "I'm NOT at home anymore..."

He then decided he was headed home, and headed home now.  Hello racehorse mode. Yeah, I had no control. On a fresh horse, out on a dirt road that strangely resembes the backside of a track.....

FUN!!

We managed to stay at sub-warp speed and not mow down any mail boxes!! *is proud*

Once safe and sound in the driveway of the barn we did a bunch of walk circles, and then walked out onto the road, and then back in... and back out.  Until he chilled.  We only had one other racehorse moment.

The peanut gallery,
watchin your every move!

Then, thanks to the rain we had lots of puddles, so again, I had the brilliant idea of "any good event horse goes through water, right?" Ha, yeah! Cash was not having it.... and when I finally DID get him in the puddle he has the balls to stop dead right in the middle of it and start pawing and splashing around like a baby in a bathtub.  Seriously? You put up all that fuss just to stop and play? Horses, I tell ya what....

The puddle of doom...

I called it a very productive day after the puddle and he ambled back home on a loose rein, very satisfied with himself apparently.  Good boy!  He got lots of treats and some grazing for his efforts.

 

Handsome man... despite the mud

Overall it was a good evening at the barn, and I'm very thankful that I used the running martingale which provided me with a very convenient grab strap--fancy that!

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Holy Badminton, Batman!

Michael Jung, Jonathan Paget, William Fox-Pitt and Andrew Nicholson.

That my friends is the current top four at Badminton. 'Scuse my french but: Bad-ass.

The difference between 1st and 4th is currently 4.2 penatly points apart.  There are no rails in hand and it's anybody's game going into Show Jumping at Badminton tomorrow.  The afternoon XC session this afternoon was just thriller.  Tomorrow is going to be pure awesomeness and I am going to be glued to the live blog.  Talk about exciting!!!

I am so going to have a horsey hangover after tomorrow... Rolex, Kentucky Derby, Badminton. Oh yeah.

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Retail Therapy

It all started with the boots, oh the lovely, heavenly, soft as butter boots... I loves them so much.

No, not Dubarrys, I wish

Then I picked up a new halter and lead rope using a gift card to a local tack store. (and some new leather cleaner--more on that later!). Next came a nice like-new horse size (as opposed to my current inventory of Cob!) running martingale found on ebay.  Perfect.

And then, I got to go to Dover Saddlery down in Parker, Colorado.

Yes!

I picked up a new helmet (Charles Owen Pro II Skull Cap mind you--yes, I splurged) and a new dressage bridle that ended up ringing in at $10 off.  Works for me!  However, I was not too impressed with their customer service... I literally had to walk up to the lady and initiate the conversation "I'm looking for a helmet..." and then she stood there and stared at me while I tried various helmets on, didn't even offer any help, suggestions, or insight beyond a "well, it looks like it fits." Ummmm....  So, I will probably call in a complaint to Dover at some point, for a company that big, that's just crappy to provide a store with that kind of lackluster customer service.  If I was the manager I'd not be too happy with that employee....

But, I'm incredibly thrilled with my new purchases :D I will be calling SmartPak here soon to see if they will match the overseas price for the Airowear Outlyne body protector, if not I'll have to order it directly from the UK. And, then, my 2013 Wish List will be almost complete!! The other items that I will work to pick up over the summer are going to be a new set of open front and ankle boots, a new set of brushing/galloping boots, and some Oster A5 Turbo Clippers. 

I've not spent this much money in ages.... but then, I haven't had this much free money in ages.  It's nice, I'm not gonna lie.  Farrier comes on Monday, I've got a request in to schedule the saddle fitter to come out, and I'll probably see about getting Cash set up with a horsey chiropractor this summer.  It feels so good to be able to spoil my pony (and me!) and get him the attention he deserves. 

And then... I finally got the cart for the pony!! Woohoo!

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