I like "goals" posts, because they let me reflect on what I'd like to accomplish, and when the season is over, on what I have and have not done, or how my ambitions have changed. This year, I have a couple of goals with Gali and Acorn.
Gali: I'll be honest, I didn't think I'd get to be showing Gali this year. At the end of last season, he wasn't fully sound, and I thought it was his ringbone acting up after a pretty busy show schedule. He had the winter almost entirely off (lameness, weather, and Aiken) and my BO let me know he wasn't fully sound on frozen pasture. She even caught himself standing with his right leg in an icy water trough - bad Gali being bad, or smart horse icing himself? While I was in Aiken, I made the decision to put him on Previcox and see if it helps, in addition to his SmartFlex and Polyglycan shots. I think it really did the trick, because he was sound when I brought him back into work in April.
Now that his body seems to be doing well - in fact, he's more sound than he's felt in over a year - his brain will be my challenge. Gali is a difficult horse, there's no denying that. Sure, he's up for shenanigans and is generally well behaved, he can be a real pistol sometimes, and he likes to fight me frequently when I'm asking him to actually work. So far, though, he's been a willing volunteer and we have been getting a lot of quality work in. During my last lesson, he was particularly stubborn about moving from my inside leg, so we did centerlines to 10m half circles to get him moving. He NAILED it, and I made the decision right there to start this year off with a First level test. We entered a local show in Training 2 and 1-1, but unfortunatley the show was cancelled due to lack of entires. The next show is at the Meadow, and I've never gotten a good ride out of Gali there, so I might only take Acorn, therefore pushing my Gali debut back to the 22nd or so. Bummer.
My goals with this horse are always, first and foremost, to keep him sound and happy. I've been trying to "trail ride" him a little more on the days he's not on edge, but he's been really enjoying the work so far. I can tell he feels good. My show goals for him this year, though, are to get my ESDCTA and ECRDA bronze medals, which mean pulling in six scores above 60% over four different shows with four different judges. I'd also LOVE to break 60% at any of the first level tests, and if he stays sound, I'd love to show through the entire level.
Acorn: Corn was my beacon of hope when I thought Gali wouldn't get off the farm this year. I took him to BCHP last month, and it ended up being a big mistake on my part. It was my first show with him, his third dressage show ever, both of our first recognized shows, and his first show of the season. That's a lot to think about. We were with our trainer and her horse, who had an early ride time. We got there around 10:30 and Acorn didn't have any tests until almost 3:00. He was a VERY good boy walking around and watching the other horses school, but trying to ride him while his friend was in the trailer screaming for him, when the arena was up on a hill away from everything, and when it's been THAT long of a day, just wasn't going well. He was bucking and pissed off and it wasn't a good experience for any of us. We finished the day with mid-50's scores and a sour taste in my mouth for this pony.
I took a few days off riding him after that, bummed that he wasn't the angel he is at home, and wondering if I should even be thinking of him as my next show horse. He's been teaching a lot of lessons and seems to be okay with that - maybe he's not as fancy as I think he is? Maybe he and I don't get along as well as I had been thinking? There was a lot of doubt in my mind. After riding Gali that week, though, and getting back on Corn, I was a little happier. He's an easier horse. He's got better gaits and is usually very willing to work. On Sunday, after a particularly trying ride on Gali, I hopped on Acorn and it hit me that I always forget what a pleasure it is to ride this pony. He tries and he really doesn't try to get into my head like Gali does. Corn doesn't threaten to bolt when I get nervous - he doesn't escalate all of my issues and take them on as his own. Anyway, I ended up setting up a few small (2', 2'3?) jumps in the ring and popping him over those a handful of times. I also let him stretch his legs a bit, which is something he doesn't get to do in lessons. I did have to work on reinstalling a slow canter though, after I let him move out into more of a hand gallop. It was a blast, and I need to remember how much I DO enjoy this pony, every time.
Goals for him include keeping him happy with his work, trail riding him a LOT more, and getting him off the farm as much as possible. I'd like to show him in the training level tests and also over a few Green Hunter courses at the Meadow. Also, I think we're supposed to sell him at some point :P
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