#beginner novice

[theadventurek9]

Ryker's Beginner Novice run 8/3/25

200/200

I'm pretty happy with this run. We got harassed by a yellow jacket (which you can see/hear bothering the recorder) soon as we entered the ring and the judge was great in letting us move away to get it away from us before starting. Ryker handled the disruption in our routine very well.

Ryker did very well with most things. I did well with most things. I need to work on not staring at him and turning my shoulder, it's causing him to lag. He needs more confidence with left turns that I'm not going to run into him (which I did a few weeks ago when he got distracted and I tripped over him). Overall he was pretty happy, a little excited and conflicted for the exam (hence the yawn) and overthinking on heeling but overall a good lad who is figuring this all out.

[magnoliasporthorses]

Training horse Zelda - Apple Tree schooling show, Beginner Novice

[stirrupsandscones]

Post show pictures ❤️❤️❤️

[theadventurek9]

Ryker Beginner Novice

200/200

Another run with so many beautiful and fantastic moments. I know it's a long video but I really believe some of the biggest successes are even in-between the exercises.

While his entrance was a bit more sloppy this time he was still happy and connected! So it was a win still. We've only been doing ring entrances for about 6 weeks so it's still new to him.

His transitions between exercises were mostly great. He was engaged with me, bouncing to play for praise and mostly ignoring the judge. He did try and run up to her after the exam, but thankfully for BN he was still leashed. I am so glad I chose BN instead of Novice. I think he could have done it but I think it would have been hard for him. I don't want time in the competition ring to be harder than what is naturally hard with trial pressure. Sitting for ribbons helped show me he isn't ready for group stays in that environment.

His heeling was fantastic for the heel on leash and good for the figure 8 but definitely needs work on the right turns.

He held himself together for the exam. 😅 It's still so very hard for him. I have to help him get forward focus away from the judge and better understanding it's not a fun greeting. He has come a long way though and I'm still proud he was able to look towards me at the end and still keep his paws still!

His stay and recall were very good. There isn't normally a finish on the recall but the judge called it and I just did it.

So happy and proud of him.

[horseless-ponyclubber]

Feeling tired from all the time I spent on you.

After my breakup I have thrown myself into school and this beautiful creature right here. We have 5 days until our first recognized, let’s hope I don’t die.

This is a picture of Raccoon and I from yesterday’s ride. It was a frustrating one, that’s for sure! He can be so good and so bad in such a short period of time, but that’s the fun part I guess. He’s getting very very sore in his back from the saddles not fitting him properly, so that makes it even harder for him to relax and lift his back. Overall, he’s being pretty good! Today was frustrating, he was very nervous and tense, and when you sent him forwards he ran instead of moving with impulsion. A few times today we would try to trot forward and he would break into the canter, or, he would try to rear up if I asked him to canter. I’m honestly at a loss as to what to do with him. He is so good, but his back is causing him to be so bad. I was palpating his back today and he almost buckled under my hands. I almost cried. Hopefully my new saddle comes in soon, I can’t make my poor horse work like this. I also need to go to a chiropractor again, because my scoliosis is getting worse as my muscles build up. I am no longer just twisted laterally, I am can feel myself starting to hold myself crooked in a twisted way. Like, the left side of my ribcage is rotating back and my right side is rotating forward. You can see this in the picture, my right shoulder is blatantly higher and more forward than my left one. Can we admire something about this photo, though? This picture makes my legs look a mile long, and it is great. My stirrups are (literally) 4 holes too long because any shorter and my leg is over the flap and way out in front of me, but oh my gosh, this almost looks right!

Quote of the day:

“I am not afraid of being hurt, I am not afraid of dying. I am afraid of being forgotten. I am afraid that the world would just... continue on if I was to disappear.” -Sabrina

[dandylonglegs]

Poplar Place Farm Schooling H.T. 2.11.17 – Part 3

Poplar Place Farm Schooling H.T. 2.11.17 – Part 3

The great thing about this being a schooling show was that we were able to school XC the day before. And not just school XC, but actually school and put together the jumps that were on our course. And it was a weird, windy, and open course. Instead of the 20 minutes it should have taken me to walk the course, it took me an HOUR. Yes, an hour. And, okay, I did walk it without a map since they…

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[horseless-ponyclubber]

Stomach in my throat...

As of last night I am an official member of the USEA. My wonderful Raccoon horse is a USEA registered horse, and we are entered at Sporting Days Farm’s March Horse Trials at the Beginner Novice level. I am completely terrified. My heart is in my throat, and I haven’t been this scared in a long time. It’s not that I am scared of getting hurt, I’ve spent the majority of my life in physical pain. I’m scared of having to face the music and start trying to do something for myself. I am scared that I will let down the people who have put in so much to make me who I am. And above all, I’m scared that I’ll get my partner hurt. He doesn’t know what will happen in three weeks. He doesn’t know that I’ll ask him to jump things that he has never seen. But I know, and I know that there isn’t a choice now. So if anyone wants to see me nervous out of my mind, come to Sporting Days Farm in Aiken, SC on March 4, 2017. It’s Judgement day, let’s see if I can give baby horse the ride he needs. I don’t even have a vest yet, so I’ll be borrowing my sister’s. I have an air vest, he has his cross country boots. I have new gloves. And I have no excuses. I’ve ridden him for 9-ish months and we’ve schooled all the XC things at Full Gallop. Raccoon is definitely not the problem. He’ll do anything I ask, even if it is to go jump things. Game plan: Jump all the things from a canter, because he is more comfortable out of the canter. He rushes fences at the trot. He likes to jump from the canter, so that is what we will do. I have to sit back and ride in two point the entire time so I can’t pinch at the knee. And I have to slip my reins every jump. Because I’m not strong enough for an automatic release yet, and he jumps with too much bascule for my crest releases. Let’s hope I don’t set off an air canister. This is the definition of insanity. Let’s do it.

Goals for this outing:

Stay in the Dressage arena

Do all the things in the Dressage arena

Jump all the things in the stadium ring

jump all the things in the XC field

don't go speed fault time

live

don’t set off the air canister

finish on a score, not a letter.

[dandylonglegs]

Poplar Place Farm Schooling H.T. 2.11.17 - Part 1

Poplar Place Farm Schooling H.T. 2.11.17 – Part 1

Since the agility trial the previous weekend, I have been battling an unrelenting sinus infection. Trouble breathing, sore throats, and a nasty hack are not what you really want going into a horse show, especially not when you’re going to be camping. But it’s what I had. Partially due to being sick and partially due to the fact that one day shows are just a mess, nothing quite seemed to line up…

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