I focus, and Lance delivers

I had a really good ride late this afternoon. It wasn't long; a lot of my rides lately have been pretty short. I'm trying to go for quality over quantity (of minutes per ride), and I think we nailed it today. Lance responded so well; he was more consistent in his frame and contact throughout our ride than he's ever been.

These were my three main foci:

1. Stay tall and vertical in the saddle, especially when posting the trot.
2. Don't 'take' or pull with the reins. Maintain a steady hand position and push Lance forward into the contact; push my hands forward in downward transitions.
3. Keep my outside hand closed firmly on the rein; squeeze the sponge with my inside hand for softness, lateral and longitudinal bend.

That last point really seemed key to Lance's consistency.

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I did mail off our entry for "DevonWood in the Spring" today, after thinking of some easy things to sell and determining to resist spending money on anything else in the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, that probably includes lessons. How many more shows I can swing remains to be seen!

American icon or American Idol?

Today's post over at Behind the Bit was great. I will never have an American Idol winner (or even a runner-up!), but I can have an American icon – or a least a delightful friend and dancing partner, which is, really, what counts most.

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My show entry is sitting on the counter, ready to mail but for the check. The amount due is sobering; entry fees for USEF/USDF recognized shows have gone up since the last time I entered one. And when I times that amount by four – to earn the eight scores needed for USDF All-Breeds awards – my stomach churns. That is a LOT of money – for me – to spend on non-essentials. I've already invested a good chunk in getting all my memberships up-to-date to be able to compete at this level, all for naught if I don't show. But is showing just throwing good money after bad?

Feeling extremely uneasy here, which sometimes indicates the answer I am seeking….

Taxes can wait...

…at least until the afternoon!

I got in a 20-minute ride Wednesday just before the skies opened up

Friday morning

I thought it was supposed to be sunny and beautiful all weekend, but it's clouding up and Weather.com tells me it may rain this afternoon. Guess I'd better get out there before I lose my "weather window"!

Before I rode on Friday I turned Lance loose to run and roll. He was crusty and smelly from laying in his pee spot, and I thought rolling in the sand might help. Wrong. The downpour on Wednesday floated all the organic matter to the top of the arena footing and Lance ended up plastered with sandy muck. The only thing to do was hose it off of him, and wait a couple hours while he (somewhat) dried.

A somewhat cleaner pony post-shower

The opening date for our first show of the year is this week, so I need to get my entry ready to mail on opening day!

When you can't ride, spend money!

Ha! Actually I did get to ride today, but I also spent money updating the last of my necessary memberships (USEF) to be able to show this year. Now I just need to save money for entry fees . . . and lessons. The first show in my sights is not yet "live" (DevonWood in the Spring, April 13), so my checking account can catch its breath for a little while at least.

It has not yet rained today like the weatherman said it would, and my son left to go swimming with my neighbor and her grandkids. Whee; that means I got to ride! Lance had some really good moments – and a few bad ones. I'm keeping in mind that our schooling sessions haven't been as regular as usual these past few weeks. It didn't help that the peanut gallery (Ollie and Breezy in their paddocks overlooking the arena) were antsy, wanting a chance to get out and stretch their legs, too. So when I was done riding, I turned all three loose to roll and play. It's a testament to Lance's good character that he saved most of his shenanigans for after our ride!

Oh, and spring is officially on its way – Lance is starting to shed his blaze! Yay!

Hit and miss

I guess that's just the way it is when I have an outdoor arena and no blocks of time big enough to haul somewhere.

The week before last I got in three rides in three days (including our 'mud bath' trail ride) before our big snow fell. Last week I got in three rides in three days after the snow melted. Yesterday it poured, and today I was on the road for 5 1/2 hours and couldn't get a ride shoehorned in before or after. Right now the wind is whipping the trees around, and the rest of the week looks like this:

Looks like I might be giving Lance swimming lessons rather than schooling sessions!