Looking Ahead

 The end of December and early January felt like we were in a bit of a holding pattern. Cinder made it obvious she needed a chiro appointment, but due to emergencies for our vet popping up either the day before or the day of all of her appointments, it kept getting pushed back. We kept riding, just doing light stretchy rides until one lesson two weeks ago when she absolutely COULD NOT canter left without feeling like she was going to launch me into the rafters. Thankfully Doc was able to work on her the next day and she feels so much better now. 

While this never happened under saddle, it felt like it could

Trainer M is super organized and has sent out the tentative 2025 show schedule as well as having a show team meeting day in a couple weeks where she spends 20mins with each of us to go over our goals and which shows we want to go to. So obviously I'm looking at our goals and what shows I can afford to go to, which ones I can kinda maybe scrimp and save to go to, and what I would do if I win the lottery. You know, normal equestrian things. 

For the second year in a row Cinder and I were third place in the OHJA Local System Long Stirrup Hunters. Still waiting for a few other year end awards to come in (ahem USHJA Outreach) for a full post

So, here's our tentative 2025 show plans: 

•  Start off in the 2'3" and move up to the 2'6" hunters and eq
• Qualify and compete in the OHJA 2'6' mini medal finals
• Maybe do the  2'6" jr/am derby at one of the local rated shows
• Do one or two rated shows this year
• Possibly go up to TBird in May or July?????
• Big wild goal: Qualify for the USHJA Adult Hunter Finals 
• Even bigger wilder I need to win the lottery goal: Go to Thermal for the Adult Hunter Finals

Scheduling for Two

 This is going to be a whiny, first world problems post so apologies in advance. Show season is staring to pick up here in the PNW and I've had a tentative schedule mapped out. 

And then the managers for our main local series announced today that they're changing dates. These are the USHJA Outreach shows that are normally held at the same time as our rated shows, so you get the rated show experience for a third of the price. But due to COVID regulations, and the fact that the Canadian border is closed and Thunderbird can't have their shows, a lot of people are going to be doing the Oregon rated shows this year. So show management decided to bump the Outreach shows to different weeks, and host them separately.

Peebs humoring me

I'm actually ok with the move, as far as it gives the Outreach shows more time and space. Usually the rated jumper classes go first and the Outreach jumpers have to wait to the very end of the day. But then I realized that for the first show in June, the date they bumped us to is the weekend after Cinder's second show. Trainer A's barn is doing a one day schooling horse trial and A is going to show her gelding in addition to Cinder. This will be the biggest group of students she's taken to a show, in addition to showing two horses herself and I know that in addition to grooming Cinder, I'll probably be helping to wrangle the kids.

"Just give me cookies already lady"

 

So, do I really want to spend one weekend as groom/owner on the ground, then show my own horse the following weekend, after working 40hrs during the week? There aren't any other local shows in June, so I would have to wait till July to show Peebs. Which isn't the end of the world, but I'm planning on bringing Cinder home in July and I know it'll take a bit to get into the swing of having two horses at home again. There are two local shows in July and two in August, and I'd like to do one or two of them if possible.  At least I'm not planning on showing Cinder this summer, maybe in the fall if we're ready. This scheduling shit isn't for the faint of heart!

Back in the Groove

Peebs has been at TCF for almost two weeks now and we've been getting back in the groove and feeling great. The one down side to TCF is that they only have an outdoor arena. But I'll take that outdoor any day over GS' indoor. GS had super dusty footing and I couldn't leave jumps set up. TCF has great sand that holds up to all the rain and I can set any jump/pole exercises I want. Peebs and I have already jumped more in the past two weeks than we did all of January.

I set up these poles on Saturday and have practiced over them three times now! No more setting something and only getting to school it once

Our local shows have finally started posting their schedules for this year and I'm tentatively making our show schedule. I'd really, really like to qualify for this years local medal finals so that's what we're working towards.  Medal finals are the end of August and to qualify to have to get 10 points or show and complete the course in 3 qualifying classes. So working backwards, I'm planning on 4 shows to get my 3 qualifiers. One in April (my birthday weekend), maybe one in May (dates are still tentative), one in June and one in July. There is a show the weekend before finals in August, but I really don't want to have to do the last chance qualifier. And I'd really have to up both Peebs and my fitness if we show back to back weekends.

You don't get these views riding inside

I'm excited to get back to showing, and having a goal to work towards. And Peebs is definitely happy to get back to jumping instead of boring flat work al the time!