Freedom Fest Fair

The Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization of New Jersey did a wonderful demonstration Sunday at The Freedom Fest Fair, even if I must say so myself. Several of the members showed up Saturday night to set up our stalls and everything else. Then on Sunday morning the horses started getting there at 9:00. Ms. Lat and I arrived about 10:30 and the stalls were all setup including bedding, it was such a pleasure to just walk your horse into a stall and only have to put up your water bucket and hay net. R did a great job and had the bedding and hay donated to the club.

We had our announcer(which was my Husband)setup with his pa system and lots of scripts plus he put together music which turned out great. Our first Parade of Versatility started around 1:00 and we had a good crowd.

The parade started with a driver with race silks on in a jog cart followed by members demonstrating Hunt seat, pleasure driving, western pleasure, dressage, eventing and model. After the parade we had a meet and greet by the stalls and the horses were surrounded by people and kids. The Demo then continued throughout the afternoon with more meet and greets in between.

Overall, I feel for the first demo of this size we have done it all came off really well. I did video the whole thing and will put it up on my blog after it is edited and you and tell me what you think.

Thanks again to all that worked so hard.

Saturday the Dressage show!

After friday's lesson there was alot of work to do, Ms. Lat had to have her mane braided and she had to be washed. When we returned to the farm I got started and finished about 6:00 but "The Big Girl" looked good, tomorrow morning time to go to the dressage show. (I am very lucky she does not rub out her braids.)

We arrived at the show about an hour before my first ride. We warmed up and waited for the class. The test went Ok but because of the lesson the day before we had a very difficult time trotting our 20 meter circle, Ms. Lat wanted to canter. Each time I would ask her to pick up the pace we would transition into the canter. After finishing our last 20 meter circle, Ms. Lat's mother lost her mind, she looked at K and thought around past A and change rein at F, DUH, what was I thinking. I heard the whisle, off course, so we circled again and came up the center line and saluted. Even with her mother's mental blip we still came in 3rd out of 5, I was shocked.

Determined to do better in B we worked some more on 20 meter circles and bending and transitions and moving forward. When we entered the ring for Intro B all went well except it was difficult moving her forward without her transitioning into a canter but we finished the test with out having another mind blip.

I approached the judge to get her comments and she asked me what breed Ms. Lat was and I proudly answered "She is a STANDARDBRED." The judge then said "Really, who would have thought." The judge then went on to explain to me that she can generally knows which horses are standardbreds because "They have a glich in their trot", that was a first for me, I had never heard that before, apparently my horse is "GLICH" free because she did not know her breed. In this class we also came in third but first and second received unbelievable scores, 1st score was 74% and 2nd was 67%. Ms. Lat and her challenged mother received a 61%.

Over all I was pleased with our performance. This Sunday, July 12, 2009 the Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization of New Jersey is doing a long demo at the Horse Park of New Jersey on the versatility of the Standardbreds. We will be starting at 12:30 with a Parade of Versatility and then individual demonstrations in Driving, Hunt Seat, In-Hand, Western Pleasure, Eventing and Dressage. We will also host 2 or 3 meet and greet, where the public can come to our stalls and talk with us about the horses. If you are free please come by, we will be in the indoor arena. Hope to see you there.

The Lesson of all Lessons!

Oh wow I was so happy that I was taking a lesson last friday, but little did I know how much I would have to work. Ms. J who is my coach decided that she wanted to see Ms. Lat's canter, so I said "No problem going to the right-the left transition is great however the right lead going to the left is a problem." (Why did I say that?)

Our lesson focused around the right lead. No matter what, we are going to get Ms. Lat into the right lead. I thought that I was going to die, Ms. Lat was a nice crazy and several bucks, but I did stay on and we did accomplish our goal. We will continue working at this but J feels that Ms. Lat is confused and does not quite understand how to move in the right lead. I have not tried any cantering this week yet but we will, maybe tonight.

I find that it is easier if I have another set of eyes so that when we are correct I can concentrate on going and not worrying about the correct or incorrect lead. I am sure that we will solve this lead thing soon.

The schooling show that I went to earlier this past week had a W/T/C class. This class was setup for horses that are just beginning to canter because you are able to canter, one horse at a time on the rail, so I decided why not. When our turn came around Ms. Lat transitioned into the canter perfectly but (I suppose it is weakness) about half way through we had to buck and then a break but we just started again and cantered around the indoor one whole lap. We did get a 5th out of 6th but that is great for her first time. After all schooling shows are for schooling not for the ribbons.

I must be crazy . . . .

Well a week ago Tuesday I decided that I would take my Big Girl to a locate schooling show. We have not shown in about 3 weeks due to social commitments, so we were long overdue. Shortly after leaving the farm, the sky began to look threatening to the west. The weather all day long had been beautiful about 2 miles from our destination the rain began but it was just rain not a downpour, thank goodness. We left "Lat" on the trailer and went to get our number and by that time the rain ended. As I started to warm up in the big ring with all of the fences I kept having conflicts, two people were jumping different fences, another person was cantering, and someone else was lunging. I decided that I could not get anything accomplished with so much confusion so I found myself a small dressage ring with a cavaletti and some cones set up. All was quiet in this ring. I was a little nervous because I was riding my hunt seat saddle and bridle and had not ridden this equipment in about 9 months.

Ms. Lat warmed up very nicely and I was then comfortable enough to just walk around. My friend H was there and 3 other standardbreds , H being as nice as she is was helping the others warm up. When I decided to go back to my quiet spot, H had taken the rails and made a little cross rail fence, she suggested that I jump it but I told her I had never jumped Lat and had not jumped myself in several years.

Well with a little encouragement, over my big girl went, without a bobble, she is so great. The next thing I know I am entered into Beginners over cross rail class in the indoor. What a trooper my big girl is, we went into the ring and schooled over 3 fences had no problems except that her mother's timing was a little rusty. When the class was called no one wanted to go first so Ms. Lat and I entered the ring and completed all four fences with only knocking down one rail on the first fence but I was very pleased with our team work. Ms Lat trusted me to guide her but because I have not jumped in years it was a little scary.

I know that we will be jumping some more fences because it is soooooooooo much fun. Thanks H for the encouragement.

A little lost without any shows......

I'm feeling a little lost without showing of late, between the rain it has been hard concentrating on all of the items that Ms. Lat and myself have to work on improving. My new goal is making a schedule to accomplish one issue at a time and continue to improve the big girl. When we have a chance to ride I have been feeling that we need to just do a really good warm up and some lateral work. Due to the rain the rides have been infrequent so I feel Lat is doing well but we are not moving ahead. Hopefully I can get my head on straight and get to productive work.

Here is a list of the items I want to accomplish:

1. Looseness-working with Lat to get relaxed and into frame more quickly.
2. Bending- lots of walk-trot transitions and some counter bending
3. Working on our canter
4. Working on me, improving my position, balance and core.
5. Patience to accomplish all of the above.


Last year I had a schedule for five days, two of which I could introduce new items and the other two for reinforcing what we learned and at least one to hack around the farm. It seemed to work well but I need to adjust that somewhat and take a lesson once a week or so. I find that I get lost without anyone on the ground watching so I am never sure if I am accomplishing what I am aiming to accomplish.

Well if anyone has any suggestions, I am all ears. Please feel free to comment.

Rain Rain Go Away - Come again some other day!

Ms. Lat finally was ridden this week. I only rode last week on Wednesday then the rain came back. This week I had two opportunities to ride but my friend's mother died and I had to spend time with her. Hopefully I will be able to ride tomorrow.

This past tuesday when I did ride, Ms. Lat was wonderful especially after not being ridden for a week. We did leg yields and lots of transitions and she was just great. I did not show last weekend and I am not showing this weekend, so that gives us some time to try new things. We will practice cantering and maybe we will try jumping. I have not jumped a horse in 30 years it should be interesting. Anyone that has some advice on how to start her over fences would be appreciated.

Another Dressage Show

I am so happy, "Ms. Lat" was wonderful this weekend. We received 64% on both tests and ended up with 2 seconds. We need to work on our ride up the center line and a more active free walk but she was terrific. It was so hot and humid, both of us were very hot, but she was a trooper. The footing in this arena is deep in some places and shallow in others so it is difficult to be consistent. I have only shown there once before and it did not seem to be as noticeable last time as it was this time. The people there are very nice and accommodating.

I don't have any shows for a while so we will be working on out canter this week. The other goal will be thinking about how I can relax more so that Ms. Lat will relax with me. Any suggestions will be much appreciated.