B's show season debut was yesterday. Well, not officially I guess seeing as he was a non-competing horse. But, for as calm, cool and collected as he was he might as well have been.
First, props must go out to an older, flea-bitten grey horse that was happily grazing when B slowly walked off the ramp of the trailer at Morven. He set the tone for the day. When I opened the trailer door B left out a soft nicker. No screeching, ear piercing screams or stomping around in distress. Can you tell my last horse was a mare? ha ha...
Once B was off the trailer he did his trademark move: stand completely still and, with his head completely out of reach, stare. After a short walk up the driveway and back he was content to munch on the spring grass. I think all the walks and hill work we have been doing paid off as he slowly creeped his way up a mini mountain beside the indoor arena. From here he continued eating and keeping an eye on the competition.
The day consisted of lots of walking and a little entertainment. We were in luck; a group of about 35 hunter kids/adults were using the lower ring for practice. We were just leaving the ring as they entered. B broke out his "I have more suspension in one stride of my trot than you have going over a 3-foot-fence" attitude as we left, but he quickly remembered there was grass under foot and got back munching. I enjoyed the flash back to my past as I watched them line up to jump and and listen to the coach yell at the top of her lungs.
Later in the day, we had a chance to walk around the actual show ring during a break. Here B discovered flags. He just, you guessed it, stared. He sniffed some letters and almost knocked down a video camera...so all in all a productive walk.
While hand walking in the arena B had the pleasure of meeting his first Friesian. He was thoroughly convinced they were going to be total BFFs when he laid eyes on him. But then it happened. The Friesian cantered. B's ears flickered 90 miles a minutes as he watched his knees almost hit his nose each stride. When B realized that this distinct sound didn't necessarily mean, "Charge!!!" he relaxed.
By mid-afternoon B was supa chilled so I longed him and hopped on. A friend who came to watch kindly me asked at the trailer how do you get on him? Not even thinking I quickly responded, "With a really tall mounting block." Light bulb moment: I wasn't in Kansas anymore, hence no super tall mounting block. Ultimately, the end of wooden bleachers did the trick. Good pony.
My husband was my lead line master for the first circle as we rode in the open bluestone ring at the lower level. As Adam walked back to the bleachers to watch a couple hunter brats (oops did I say that out loud...?) decided it was the perfect time to play a game of soccer. What are you we in freakin Italy? Meh. Thankfully, B barely batted an eyelash as he continued our workout with some walk, trot and canter.
After a successful ride outside, we ventured to the indoor warm up ring. Dun dun dahh!! Anyone who has ridden with dressage riders, been a dressage rider or has watched a warm up ring at a dressage show knows how brave I as being. As a hard core dressage rider myself I know how merciless we can be. One agenda—your own. There were only two horses in the ring and they were about Second Level types...whew. After getting past the wolf dog that guarded the entrance (don't ask) we ventured in. We walked and trotted while the other horses did about 5000 extended trots and 8000 canter-walk transitions.
As for Beeburr's general attitude, he tried his best to make friends everywhere he went. You could almost read his face as he tried to follow almost every horse that passed: "Wanna be super good buddies?" By the number of people that came up to pet him cute little face nine feet in the air, I think they received the same message.
Maybe the next show we'll actually be one of those fancy competing horses. Regardless, I certainly am one proud mommy. :0)
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