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Wentworth Hunter Pace - June 6, 2021

After Margaret and I had such a fun time at the fall hunter pace, we opted to go again this spring! This time, while I rode Rejoice again, Margaret rode her horse Jester and had a friend ride Ladyhawke. All Kennebec Morgans!! Jester and Rejoice have the same dam and Jester and Lady share the same sire. Unfortunately instead of a lovely late spring day, we had one of the first intensely hot and humid days of the year. It was definitely a bummer, but the ride was mostly in the shade of the woods and we had a great time!  most of the fences were 3' coops but we found a small log and this hay to jump haha Until we didn't. 😑 We brought along a third friend who rode Margaret's older mare, Ladyhawke. She's a good rider but hasn't known Ladyhawke for very long and didn't realize how much of a cranky boss mare she could be at times. She kicked Jester right in the front leg just about halfway through the ride, and while the cut itself ended up not being a big deal in the

Shows and Hocks

Well, I have officially entered the first two shows of the year! First is a combined test down at UNH on April 19. We are going to do Modified Beginner Novice. I am not expecting anything exciting, just a chance to get out and do something early.

Then our official start of the show season will begin on May 10 at the NEDA Spring USDF show! I got my confirmation email yesterday, saying that my entry is complete and I am all signed up for Training 2 and Training 4! Whoo! I asked the very nice show secretary if I could ride as LATE as possible on that Sunday. See, this is a two day show, but I am only riding on Sunday because 1. I will still be teaching so taking off for a weekend will not really work well and 2. It is a TON of money to get an overnight stall ($150). As it is, this show cost me $120 to enter the two classes, which includes both the class fees ($40 each and $10 for the T4 to be a qualifying ride. I doubt we will qualify but it would SUCK if the score was good enough but I had not paid the extra $10 ahead of time) and all the drug/office fees. Last year at my little local schooling dressage shows (SMDA) it only cost me $40 to do two classes, because all I had to pay for was $20 per test without any additional fees. So I am trying to be as smart as possible about money. Yes, it would be GREAT to be able to ride both Saturday and Sunday, as it would give me two chances at each test. But I just could NOT fathom spending an additional $90 for the two additional tests on Saturday PLUS $150 for the stall.....I stuck with just doing this as a one day show.

The problem? The showgrounds are three hours from me. So if I get to ride late in the morning as opposed to 9AM, I will be fine. And the very nice show secretary agreed to schedule me to ride as late as possible. YAY! I am nervous but I think we will be just fine. We may not break 60% (which is what I need to use these two tests to qualify for USDF) but that is OK. Seeing as it will be our first USDF rated show EVER......I am just expecting to stay on (the horse) and stay in (the ring). The rest will be icing. :) Hey, this worked well for my first ever dressage show(where we won our first class with a 68% something and scored a third in the second with another 63% something) , so why not for our first ever rated dressage show??? :)

Oh and hocks.....yesterday Dreamy came in from her muddy paddock with a swollen hock! YIKES! It is her near side hock, and there was some heat but NO lameness. So I cold hosed, gave her a dose of Bute, and put some hock wraps on her just in case. I did notice that she scraped her other hock (mostly likely when she lies in her stall at night...) so I figured perhaps she had gotten up weird in her stall that morning? It could also be something she did in the paddock, or maybe even being sore from being ridden Fri-Sun and then having all week off )not because I WANT her to, but because that is what happened....grrrr.) In any case, I was not that worried seeing as she was sound.

This morning, her hock is fine but her fetlock is huge. Well, I suspect the swelling just moved down the leg. So tonight I gave her more Bute, more cold hosing, and wrapped with polos for extra support, along with the hock wraps. We shall see what awaits me in the morning.

The worst part is I could have ridden this afternoon. I chose not to, as there is no reason to make her leg worse or even cause her to be lame. A few more days off will be just fine for her. :) I will never be that person who puts her own desires and wants before the NEEDS of her horse....like so many imbeciles I know. GAG.

The good part of all of this is that she sound. Just completely as "sounds a dollah." Not only was she fine when trotted out, but she was fine when she decided to buck and canter/trot across her muddy field. Uggg......muddy mess and that tells me it is time to lock her out of the grass field and confine her to her "all weather" paddock AKA the muddy spring paddock! LOL!

Comments

  1. I am so excited for you! That sounds like so much fun...and I think you should not be complaining because that is CHEEP for a recognized show by me! You don't want to make me jealous now do you :P And what USDF thing are you going for? Isn't it a 63% for GAIGS? I hope Dreamy is feeling 100% better and ready to work next weekend.

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  2. Really? $40 per class is cheap? How much is it per class where you are? Now I feel a tiny bit better about forking over my hard earned cash. :D

    I am hoping to qualify for an All Breeds Award through the USTA. I need 8 scores at 4 shows with a median of 60%. Two of them must be at least 60% at Training 4. I think that is a realistic goal if I work my BUTT OFF.

    I have no intention of actually qualifying for Region 8 Championships. You are right, that would be 2 scores at Training 4 at 63% or higher. That is a pipe dream this year. But....wouldn't it SUCK if I did not pay my extra $10 and ended up getting above a 63%!!! I would seriously cry. So I figure, since I have to do Training 4 for All Breeds anyway, what is an extra $10 qualifying fee??

    Of course, if I can swing it, I will try to attend the open show in Saugerties, because Dreamy won't know the difference. :D

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