Snow and Show! January 23, 2009

Hi there!  I have a bunch to update and some cool photos to share!

First, Ritchie and I have been working very hard to get ready for the Triangle Farms Indoor I show in Raleigh.  It has been three weeks since the Holiday Classic and we have had lots to work on.  Mostly, we have been working on getting to know each other better.  I am finding out just how cool Ritchie is!

With the show coming up quickly there was a lot of training to get done.  Lisa was so great.  She picked me up several times a week, after my school work was completed of course, and took me to the barn to get in extra lessons.  They really helped a whole lot!  Last weekend we took the trip to see Harold and Jenn at Solo Show Stables and had a fantastic lesson with Jenn.  She is very proud of all the hard work that me and Lisa are doing.    In the last couple of weeks I have been working on getting the Medium Pony Hunter pace which is faster than the pace for Short Stirrup.  I also have been working on getting the correct strides for the pony division.  I have learned that if there are  six strides in the Short Stirrup I will need to get five strides in the Medium Pony Division.  I have also been learning about bending and correctly setting up a lead change.

There is a lot to learn on the ground also.  I have been learning how to walk lines and count out strides.  This will help me if I need to know how many strides are in a line and my trainers are not there to tell me.  I can also set my own jumps now.  Lisa has been taking me to watch some other lessons she teaches so that I can watch the other riders.  She says there is a lot to learn from watching others.    Back in the barn there is a lot to learn and do as well.  I like to get Ritchie ready myself (except I have to stand on a mounting block to get his saddle on!).   I make sure his hooves are clean and his tack in on correctly.  My favorite part is painting the hoof oil on and putting his jumping boots on.

With only a couple of days left until we were to leave for the showgrounds we got a big surprise!  I went to bed one night and the next morning I woke up to SNOW!!  Snow in North Carolina does not happen very often and I could not remember the last time we had enough snow to play in!  I bundled up in warm clothes and boots and ran outside to meet up with my friends.  I took a break from riding that day so I could sled down the hill and throw snow balls.  It was so much fun.  When the day was over and I was back in the house warming up I wondered what Ritchie was doing on a snow day.  The next day I got to find out.  Me and my mom and dad went out to the barn and took Ritchie out in the snow.  My mom says Ritchie is from Minnesota and that it is very cold there and he probably knows all about snow.   When I let him in the pasture he started to kick around in the snow and laid down and rolled.  He looked like he was having so much fun.  He trotted over to the fence and kept nudging me.  I think he wanted me to come in and play!  So I did!  We had a great time!

After our time playing I gave Ritchie some of his favorite treats and then it was off to start packing for the show.  We were leaving to the showgrounds the next morning.  My mom has a horse show checklist and we have to go down each thing and make sure it is in my trunks.  I have to remember things like, tack, buckets, hay, grain, saddle pads,  sponges, leather cleaner, shampoo and braiding yarn.  There is so much to pack and my mom always thinks we are forgetting something.

With everything packed and Ritchie back in his stall for the night it was time for me to be getting to bed.  I like to go to sleep early but tonight I might have a hard time sleeping just thinking about a horse show weekend with Ritchie!!  Check back next week so I can tell you all about the show!