Boise River Dressage

 

Wow. What a weekend. 

I'll break it down by day.

Friday: Got off work at 1 pm. Ran to the tack store to return white show shirt for a colored one because SCREW WHITE. Spent another $90 (lol it's only money right?) Packed everything up in my trunk for the show and CJ arrived around 2 to pick us up.

My beautiful button braids.

As soon as Ries gets off the trailer he seems off. Not sure why. Tack up and walk him around. Hes a nutcase. Decide to lunge him where he throws a fit. Get on. Randomly he decides he wants to strike out, throw his head, crowhop, buck, rear, ect. Just out of nowehere, and then returns back to work. Kind of bizarre. 

 

 

 

 

And the resulting afro.

Stop schooling and try and trot around the second arena just so I don't get myself killed. He rears at the walk. Que getting off. I send him out again to be lunged and he throws a few bucks and just seems unhappy. CJ and I decide that he isn't acting normal and to put him down for the night. We guess that if we let him settle in his stall and come back maybe he will be a different horse. 

Run to the barn to do chores and run back to the showgrounds to attempt to ride again. He seems calmer. Switched pads and switched into a mattes fuzzy girth. Get on, walk three steps, he tries going up again. I was only walking on a loose rein. Something was up. I got off, cried, and CJ decides he must be in pain somewhere. Decide to give him banamine for the night and hope that he wakes up feeling better. 

I got home around 10:30, had a piece of cookie dough, a shot of vodka (my roomate was getting ready to go party and offered), and a bag of goldfish and call it a night. 

Saturday:  Decide to have Toni (the massage therapist) come out to take a look at him. HOLY SHIT. My poor horse. He had two ribs out on both sides and his SI joint was out aswell. His loin was incredibly sore as was his chest/neck. I forgive him for Friday's antics. I braid him up and Toni suggests trying him in an hour and if he seems fine then to carry on. 

I run to the barn to switch half pads and grab a different bonnet (we switched from white pad to black pad) and come back to tack up. I walk him around on a loose rein and he seems relaxed. The second I pick up the reins and ask him to trot he starts acting uncomfortable. Not nearly as bad as before but still not himself. CJ and I vote to retire him for the weekend. Que more crying. 

Scratched my ride at 1:30. At 2 CJ decides to grab her school master. My next ride time was 3:30. Ran to the office as she ran to get said pony. Cleared it over with the office (I had called Friday night to explain I might be needing to do a horse switch) and Czoey Czar arrived at 3 pm. I slapped some braids on, tacked up and rode around the warm up. 

I hadn't ridden this mare in probably over three months and CJ explains that she also hadn't been out in 3 days. Ha. Ha. I'm way too mentally drained at this point to even consider stressing out. The night prior, CJ & mine's farrier's (and family friend) son was in a motorcycle accident. CJ stayed at the hospital with him until 4 am. He is currently in a drug induced coma.

Thanks to HollyBull for the pictures!

My ride went well, training level test 3, and I somehow managed to get a 66 and second place! Lost by half a point, not too shabby! 

Sunday: CJ hauled Czoey over at 10 and my ride was at 11. I slapped some more braids on her, hopped on and schooled. I felt a lot more prepared for this ride. My stepdad even showed up and video taped it! I have no idea where that footage is though haha.

The ride, training level test 2, went super well. I scored a 65 and was super impressed with myself. CJ thought I should have gotten over 70 but you win some you lose some. Scored another 2nd place satin. Lost to first again by half a point. Sensing a trend this weekend. 

My final ride felt the best. I felt prepared to do test 3 again since I had just done it the day before. However, CJ didn't seem too excited. She was probably just tired. I scored a 66 and, you guessed it, another 2nd place and loss by half a point! 

At this point my feet had probably ten blisters on them each and I was ready for bed. We packed the ponies up and sent them home. I stayed around the show grounds a little later to wait and see if I managed to score any champion or reserve champion ribbons. 

And guess who did?! This kid! First dressage show ever, on not my own horse, and I got reserve champion! I'm not exceptionally impressed with my dressage seat, but it seemed to get the job done.

And now to today: How is Riesling? I currently don't have a clue. Promptly on Monday my back decided to seek revenge against me. I joke that I got the same thing Riesling had. Currently struggling to get anything done unless I absolutely have to. I think my body is out to kill me. When will I ever be normal?