Thrills and Spills.



May breast cancer short course event.
Paloma and I received an '8' for our trot circle and received a comment of 'nice relaxation and stretching into contact'.
In reality I was doing my best to avoid a giant spook at the judges tent. Glad it looked nice but I was crapping my pants.



Let me start off by warning y'all that my next few posts will be out of order due to my work banning more and more portions of Blogger. Thus, I am unable to upload photos off my phone. Grr...

This weekend was pretty insane to say the least. DH and I received a call that our cabinets were in and out for delivery on Wednesday. Luckily, the planets aligned, for once, and the shipment arrival time did not leave either DH or I needing to leave work early.

To my amazement and pleasure, DH actually waited for me to arrive before cracking open the first box to take a gander at the glory of my dream cabinets! Hallelujah.

I have been asking for these cabinets since we purchased and renovated our first house. Now on our third, DH finally caved and let me have them AND to make matters better we received 20% off since they came on sale with the best of timing! 

Though, I cannot help but wonder what is going on. DH has pretty well agreed on everything I have chosen.... Is it a ploy? Or is he finally learning that 'happy wife' means 'happy life'? 

He does keeps dropping hints that he needs a 'hobby' again.... Two years ago he sold his motorcycle, (thank god), and bought a tractor. In April, we sold the tractor. I am not yet seeing where this is leading. Pray no motorcycle death traps!

Anywho, onto more audience appealing subjects and likely the real reason y'all clicked on this post. Equines.

This weekend was a bit of a doozy. I was both deflated and overjoyed at the same time. No, not PMS.

 

Not only did I disappoint a good bud by bailing on being a show groom but I also bailed on another who, in a last minute fail, asked me to call her dressage tests at her show.

Both favors that I would gladly do on a normal day, utterly vanquished by time constraints and our never ending to-do list at our new house since we do ALL the work after drywall ourselves.

I did achieve some semblance of guilt-ease by getting my hiney to the barn before my bud left for her show and assisted in bathing, braiding and loading.

After my bout of slavery, just kidding Mitchel :P, helping out, I headed out to the field to grab Paloma for a quick ride before actual slavery began at the house.

I had an urge for a trail ride but no one else wanted to go. This actually worked fine for me since I need to work on solo trail ride confidence on Paloma's accord and our control being out in the open. Which became highly apparent at the May Short Course when Paloma attempted to burst through my hands and seat and wiggle all over the field.

I gave Pal a good curry and quick dandy before tacking and heading out. She seemed pretty chill today which lent to my confidence heading out solo.

Our usual trail route was overgrown with corn and after Mich and my encounter with the seven foot tall field two years ago, I quickly changed my mind and headed out the back route which is through a creek and up hills. Bonus! Water and hill work!

Paloma had a few looky-loo's and butt tuck's while I opened the gate mounted and asked her to go over the bridge on my way out to the trail. (Note: this bridge is terrifying, if I hadn't forgot the route, I would have avoided it). Though, all in all, I could not have asked for any better.

We are both drastically improving each other's confidence. What would once have been a total cop out on my part, and a meltdown on Pal's part is now a slight aversion to moving forward, answered by a stern and solid 'no, we go' leg and a '*sigh*... ok, but I snort like bull' response.

After finding our normal route we both sighted a perfect spot at the same time. It was a lovely fenced, short cropped field with a fantastic gradually sloped hill. We rode past first, both clearly getting ideas, Paloma obviously more like, 'that looks like tastey green grass over there yonder' and me like 'that is a beachin' hill for some booty and stamina building gallops'.

So we promptly made an illegal U-ey and headed in through a open portion of the field.

It must have been made initially for the cows that the farm once housed many years ago and recently renewed by a very kind person who opted to bush hog. Thank you said person!

We took a boo around the field a time or two to scope out bad footing, holes or rocks. Came across a few trouble spots but they are easily avoided or travelled through walking. Keeping note of these areas we picked up the powerful trot that Paloma always gives me out on trails.

Testing control we did several transitions, which she executed with no qualms. I did ask for some lateral work but with the oodles of biting horse fly's, it was causing only pissey comments to stream from Pal. I even once received a mini lift rear in protest. Ie; maybe 10 inches off the ground, that is as bad as it gets with her and I know biting bugs make her thin skinned mind go cray-cray.

Intuitively knowing she was asking me to if we could run away from them for a minute, I answered with a kick on for canter. I got a gallop but I was in control, I would allow it for a few seconds as long as she listened.

We galloped up the butt busting hill happily. Pal glad for the moments relief, me, overjoyed at the feeling of her sinking down into her haunches and pushing me up the hill.

Afterwards, I brought her back to a nice canter on a circle, focusing on using my seat not my hands every time she would get strong.

We only spent 20-25 minutes on the trail but I felt we made great head way for the day and used the walk back through the creek as our cool down. We even went for a little swim when Pal took a misstep and spilled over slightly into the deeper pool of the creek. I think she was relieved to get away from the bugs and heat for a moment.

I don't think I stopped smiling and thanking her the entire way back.

It is amazing how something so simple can boost your confidence in each other and overall relationship.