Preparing for Octoberfest!

In my preparation for Octoberfest this weekend, I started thinking about what others do to get ready for a show? Let's say the week before. How many times do you try to ride in that week? Things you work on? How you get your pony spotless (especially in cold weather)? And anything else I might be forgetting! Thanks :) 

I had a productive jump school yesterday, in which I jumped a baby X a couple of times (the first few times with my eyes closed = my favorite), then went through a small grid, then the small grid to a stone wall. After we jumped in the ring, I went up to re-familiarize Tim with some of the XC jumps. He can be such a freak about them at first - he's pretty convinced that every natural looking jump is going to eat him. Super comforting behavior from a seasoned event horse...not! Luckily I had my mean girl pants on and refused to take any of his shit. Once I convinced him to jump politely, without throwing himself up in the air, we called it a day. 

Tuesday - training ride from BA dressage trainer

Wednesday - jump (?) lesson with Dorothy Crowell 

Thursday - dressage lesson with same BA trainer

Friday - head to Octoberfest! Maybe school at KHP depending on time 

The weather is supposed to be absolutely PERFECT this weekend, so fingers crossed it stays that way! Considering how crappy it has been recently, I don't have high hopes. 

The best view 

I stopped by team challenge on Sunday to pick up my loaner saddle/get pics. This was from the prelim 3 day division

Pretty meadowlake (even at a wonky angle) 

P.S. make sure to sign up for Hillary's contest over @ Equestrian At Hart

Visiting with Hillary and Hue!

It was so good to see Hillary and Houston last night for the first time since summer (too long)! I met up with Hill at her house before heading out to her farm to see the huester. We groomed the very dirty monster horse, tacked up, and walked down to the indoor to ride. She lunged first and then hopped on for a few minutes before letting me take over :) Let me tell you, I totally forgot what it's like to ride a 17+ hand horse. LOTS of horse to handle, though he was a very good boy! We got some pictures of both of us up, though the indoor lighting was kind of challenging so some of them are blurry. Enjoy!

Houston refused to look happy about this picture 

I thought this was cool with the lights

I had a lot of fun!

cutie! 

weeeeeeee!

Happy :) 

Houston proved to me that I can certainly carry my hands 

Holy trot 

Good boy! 

Home!

It's fall break time again, which means no Tim-time between now and Sunday. However, I did go out yesterday to see him before I headed home, since he came inside yesterday morning with a nasty case of hives. He's had them on and off for the past week or so, but they were apparently bad enough yesterday to call the vet. He'll be fine and will get 10 days of dex to make them go away. I really have no idea what could be causing them, except for one of his millions of allergies... he's basically allergic to everything in KY. I gave him a nice soothing bath, lunged him for a bit because I was feeling lazy, and loved on him before heading home.

While I'm home, I'm going to try to go out to the barn with Hillary and possibly ride Sir Hue!! I'll definitely post about that if we can make it work :) I'm also going to stop by the KHP on Sunday to pick up my loaner Devoucoux, which means I'll get to ride in it on Sunday afternoon!!!! Can't wait!

Rue says hi 

Dreary fall days

My somewhat cryptic post last night was just my way of revealing that I placed an order for a Devoucoux Makila dressage saddle!! I've had a love/hate relationship with my current dressage saddle since I bought it, so I talked to my dad and decided to have the local rep come out for a fitting. Devoucoux works with a consignment shop (not sure which one) and the lady who runs it offered us a decent amount of money for my current saddle, so bye bye County, hellooooo Devoucoux :) The rep really went above and beyond by offering me a loaner saddle to keep and ride in until mine comes in, which I'm extremely grateful for. 

In other news, Tim has been great recently! I clipped him last week and we're busy prepping for our next show. I'm hoping to take a dressage lesson this week before I go home for fall break, so look for that post in the next few days! 

The Scottish moors or KY..? 

Poultice after every ride... 

SS

This little beauty (or one very similar..) is coming my way!! 

Quick Update

Tim felt GREAT for my rides yesterday and today! Both were short and sweet because of time constraints/I don't want to work him too hard, but we got out and we got moving. It also got hella cold here overnight... mid-80s last week to a high of 55/low of 32 today. People are already starting to pull out the blankets =| Terrified for what this winter might bring.

If any of y'all are bored/think Jan Byyny is really cool, here's a video from my lesson with her over the summer:

She's fantastic, btw 

A short break

Tim got his hocks injected yesterday and is enjoying a well deserved break. New barn = new vet, and he really liked Tim, despite the fact that he was a lazy butt and tried to convince us he couldn't possibly jog for 15 or so feet. Mental note: work on jogging in hand. I eventually had to put on my mean girl pants and growl at him to get him to move.

The new vet was slightly concerned with Tim's LF, where he tore his check last year =/ He said that maybe the slight fill is normal for Timmers, since he's never seen him before, or maybe it has something to do with competing over the weekend. Regardless, I refuse to let him re-injure that leg and am going to start icing and poulticing after every.single.ride. I have the all-clear to ride tomorrow afternoon, so fingers crossed that the injections make timberly feel like a spritely young man again! I'll leave you with some videos from my last XC school before the show:

^^^^ TRAINING HEIGHT :D