To ride dressage is to dance with your horse, equal partners in the delicate and sometimes difficult work of creating harmony and beauty.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Sure; NOW the dust settles!

Yesterday I gave the "visiting neighbor girl" her last lesson before school starts and she moves to the Portland area. She has made such progress in a short time! Yesterday she worked off the lunge line, successfully piloting Breezy through all three gaits.

Then I rode Lance, without my dressage whip, for the last time before our classes Wednesday. We were at the State Fair for a concert Sunday, so I stopped by the Horse Show office to "get the lay of the land." The lady there was knowledgeable and helpful on all points, from when I can check in and which stall she would assign me for ease of working out of my trailer's tack room, to the most appropriate apparel and tack to use for the three classes we've entered. I was going to show Lance as a "hunter in-hand," but she pointed out that it is a Halter class – emphasis on halter. So I borrowed a show halter and lead from Rick's office manager – but don't have to borrow a cowboy hat from my son, I was thankful to learn. Anyway, I also learned that no whips of any kind are allowed in the English Pleasure class, and I'll have to check with the judge (through the show steward) about my spurs. Let's hope the atmosphere of the show provides a bit of extra energy to my laid-back boy!
Blinded by the light, even with a dirty horse!

ANYway, yesterday afternoon, after another very dusty ride, we got a little rain.
I think I'll be using up my remaining horse shampoo tonight!

Then we got a little more; in fact, I went to sleep last night to the pleasant sound of raindrops outside my window. Too bad no one will have time to use my little sand arena while the dust is dampened!