Quzqo, Trail King (or close to it!)

Sat Jul 22, 2006

What a fun day at the horse show at the barn today! It was the most relaxed and outright FUN I can remember, mostly because I didn't show ANY Halter or Showmanship, so I could sleep in, and while everyone was fussing and running around in their goofy Showmanship outfits (seriously, would you walk down the street wearing that stuff??), Quzqo got to enjoy his hay in his comfy stall, and I got to sit and watch the show. Once they started with Halter, I went back to the barn and tacked up, and spent about 45 minutes warming Himself up, lunging him, riding, & doing whatever. Was a relatively small turnout for halter (NO pleasure-type entries, because he was being lunged, ha!), so the judges (two...double-judged, double the fee!) zipped right through, and they broke for "lunch" at 10:30.

I only showed in Novice Equitation, Novice Huntseat, and Novice Trail...didn't bother with the cantering class, because I KNOW what Quzqo will do in that arena (it's his home arena, I know where all the spots are where he'll shy, veer, halt, stop, and be plain dumb)(not wasting $8 this close to Breyerfest!). We, or shall I more correctly say, *I* didn't suck totally in Equitation, because we actually placed 4th out of 5 under the lady judge, and 5 out of 5 under the man judge. I don't know WHY, I thought I was doing everything all right. The lady who took 2nd and 3rd told me in the line-up that she got her diagonals wrong...guess the judges didn't see, or more likely, to win, you have to be tall, thin, and ride a slow stock horse!! Three strikes, we're out!

Was about the same for Huntseat, Quzqo was in a "mood" today...not a bad mood, more of a...Arabian mood. Let's just say our performance was not consistent, but he backed beautifully...we placed 5th & 6th out of 6.

Had quite a time before trail, so took him out for a trail ride, up to a meadow where they've mowed it short and put up some ground poles and barrels. One of the obstacles for the trail pattern was a "jump", so I managed to trot him over the telephone pole laying on the ground and we did it perfectly...that was more for MY benefit than his. Confident and ready for trail!

It was a pretty simple pattern really...no backing, no side-passing, no water boxes! We had to trot into the arena, walk over two ground poles, then over the wooden bridge, then over two more ground poles, trot around a corner, trot INTO a box (4 ground poles), spin 360 degrees to the left, walk out of the box, trot and get over the jump (HA, it was like 6" tall!), slow to a walk and exit.

Somehow during the day the word got out that you were supposed to pivot to the RIGHT in the box, not to the left...but the printed pattern on the announcer's stand said to the LEFT. LOL...the three ladies who went before us all pivoted to the RIGHT... A wonderfully HUGE foul-up (made even more sweet because two of them are my friends who had been beating the pants off of us all summer long with their O-So-Perfect stock horses). Quzqo trotted SO nicely into the ring (I'm just thrilled I can do a sitting trot with him now!!), stopped by the poles, stepped over the first two, up onto the bridge, started stepping down into the next set of poles, got upset and JUMPED them, LOL! But we picked up the trot, round the corner and INTO the box! (the first three ladies slowed to a walk and walked into the box...the pattern clearly stated you had to trot into the box!). Coos has an advantage to being so small, he had NO problem doing a 360 degree pivot to the LEFT, and walking smartly out, pick up the trot, and he tried to veer a little to avoid the jump but my outside leg shoved him back on course and we just flowed over that jumps so sweet!! Slow to a walk, and exit!!

There were 9 entries (it was English and/or Western, so there were a lot of crossover entries). We got 4th and THIRD!!! WhooHOOOOOO!!! I know our placing would have been lower if my friend with the paint had pivoted to the left instead of the right, heh heh, her bad. She got 2-5ths. I will say the rest of the non-placing horses were pretty bad...rearranging the obstacles, heh heh. Practice practice!

That's our best EVER in Trail (course we've only placed like three times all year)! I'm so proud of my boy!!! His reward was that we were done by 2:30, and he got to be turned free and naked into his pasture, where he got a big drink, then rolled in the filth, grinding all that lovely dirt right into his show-sheened behind!

I did his mane up in a Continental Braid again, and got TONS of complements!! And this time I at least got to take a picture...slightly blurry, but you get the idea! He's sure got the mane for it, if nothing else!!

I Did It!

Thu Jul 20, 2006

One more thing to tick off my "do before I die" list!!

After literally YEARS of wishing and dreaming, I finally, at long last, gathered up the nerve to jump on the horse bareback out in the pasture and ride him to the barn!! WhooHOOO! I've always wanted to be able to do this (well, as long as I've been at Bob's....wasn't any point at the Arabian show barn since their paddocks were so small)...didn't DARE with Tezlu, not that I could get up on his 15.2hh self!

But today, Quzqo was in the farthest reaches of the pasture (3/8 of a mile from the barn, I've measured), and due to recent earth moving endevours, there was a nice big pile of clay-dirt nearby! I somehow managed to convince the horse to stand still next to the dirt pile (he was VERY puzzled, LOL), I tied the end of the lead to his halter, making reins, and using the dirt for a mounting block, managed to clamber my way up on his back (it wasn't pretty, but bless his heart, he stood rock solid while crazy Sue wiggled her way on board, HA!)

He walked SO nice down the hills to the gate, I just grabbed a couple of handfulls of mane and let him pick his own way. But dayum, does he have a spine!! Yow! Not as bad as Tezlu's was (like sitting on a picket fence!), but a lot bonier than he was this winter when I rode him bareback inside!

That was SO fun...I was giggling like an idiot, HA! Fun to realize those dreams
on occasion!!

Hot Time At The Horse Show

Mon Jul 17, 2006

Model horse people have NOTHING over the crazy loons who show the real things!! If I seem a bit dotty today, it's because my brains have been broiled after spending two entire days in 98 degree temps at a dang horse show!!!

Thankfully, our local fairgrounds is loaded with huge, old trees, so shade was everywhere. But when it's 78 degrees at 6 a.m....not a good sign!! Luckily our usual spot was taken when we got there, so we ended up further from the show arena, but under a ton of huge shady trees, which became a bigger commodity than proximity to the arena!!

Quzqo's become an ole show veteran, I'm so proud of Him!!! He jumps in the trailer w/o a fuss now, he jumps OUT of the trailer, and happily, he now stands tied without fussing, wiggling, whinneying, pawing, and acting a loon! Course maybe it was also the heat that kept him subdued, LOL! I could actually leave him alone without worrying he was going to do something to himself!

Saturday's show had a single judge, a pleasant youngish lady with obvious impartiality and experience! I can't remember exactly how our Showmanship class went, not that it mattered, because we placed 6th out of 6, LOL! Why do I bother?

Quzqo did place 1st in Pleasure Type Geldings!! Yeah, he was the only entry, LOL...he didn't stand a chance in the showback for Champ, because a local Morgan breeder came by with about every horse they owned, from weanlings to a gorgeous palomino Stallion, and of course won the Champ and Reserve.

Coos behaved pretty darn well in the ridden classes (for Quzqo, anyway). For the life of me I can't remember offhand how we placed in Equitation, it was probably 6th out of 6 again. In the Step-Up English class (with cantering), we TOTALLY blew it, thanks to SOMEbody deciding he was channeling Tezlu, and when they asked for the canter, he TORE off and VEERED across the far end of the arena, LOL! (he was nervous about that corner, who knows WHY), and we lapped the rest of the class easily.

He did better going the other direction, but combining that, with the fact he decided to resist backing and threw his head up in the air instead...I think we got 5th out of 5.

Huntseat Pleasure (Novice 19/O) was our next class, and other than ONE tiny head-tossing at the trot, he did DAMN fine!! Even backed half-decent! And I figured we'd get last again, and about fell off the horse when they announced we had placed SECOND!!! Out of 6!! Holy SHIT! What a good horse!!! (remember, Pleasure they judge the HORSE, Equitation...the rider, heh heh..I'm giving up showing Equitation!)

The trail course was...interesting. Trot through two parallel poles, stop, back out from between poles, pivot on forehand, side-pass to the right over one of the poles, pivot, trot over ground poles placed in a zig-zag pattern, walk through water box, exit.

HA! Well, we trotted through the poles, he backed PERFECTLY (In fact, we've practiced this particular obstacle so much, the horse backed up ON HIS OWN w/o any cue from me!!!). He pivoted on the forehand perfectly, and we eventually side-passed the ground pole, half of the time OVER the pole (the other half was beside it, heh heh). As for trotting the ground poles...well, we made it over them, it wasn't pretty, but we got 'er done! The water box...he walked right up, put his nose down, tried to
drink the water, but the instant I asked him to move forward, he REARED and spun, LOL! Tried again from the other side... REARED and spun! LOL! One more try, spin city! So much for that!

Actually only about 1 in 10 horses made it through the water box...whenever someone made it, the crowd erupted in applause and cheers, hee!

What was interesting was that we'd gotten torrential downpours the afternoon before, the center-end of the arena was a LAKE...they could have just used THAT for the trail obstacle!

Like you're ever going to encounter a box of water out on the trail, right. Coos will walk through rivers and into lakes, but not a 4x4 box with 2" of water in it!

We actually placed 6th out of 8!! HooHah!! (yes, the other two were HORRID, spooking at the ground poles, re-arranging the side-passing pole with their hooves, not even going near the water box!)

The HEAT though! GAAH! The instant you were in sunlight, you could feel your skin shriveling! The judge did allow us to ride w/o coats...which I did! Glad I had a short sleeved hunt shirt! Everyone hunkered under the shade trees until the absolute last second, then soon as the class was over, everyone went right back under the shade trees! Poor judge, but she had a big-brimmed Western hat, a sleeveless blouse, and they kept her well-fortified with sports drinks and water! Some kind woman came around the on-deck area and passed out ice cream sandwiches to those of us waiting for our class! Oh, man, ice cream never was so good!!

Thankfully I was done riding for the day around 4:30, and got to retire to the shade with the horse, who, after being sponged off with cool water, enjoyed his hay and dozed. The show ran relatively late, we didn't get out until around 7:30!

Unfortunately, had to do it all again the next day, thankfully we got our same spot under the trees, and it was an overcast morning! But the humidity was BRUTAL! And unfortunately we had a pair of hard-nosed conservative judges for Sunday...Gad, what an unpleasant pair! I think Quzqo must have farted in their faces during Showmanship, because they seemed to think he was only good for dog food! We again got 6th in Showmanship out of 6 (though he did pretty good...I doubt he'll ever be
able to pivot on one foot like a stock horse). We didn't bother with Halter (hey, it's $8 w/a double-judged show...for another 1st place out of 1 entry ribbon?), so I had extra time to tack up and ride him! He was SO tired, it was great, he was like "Yes'm, whatever you want ma'am, your word is my command ma'am!" LOL...it was lovely!!

*I* thought we did damned good in Equitation! He was as steady and consistent as a metronome, kept his head down, I kept my hands steady, head up, back straight, used the corners of the arena...but no...5th under Judge "A", 6th under Judge "B".

Step-up we did better than the day before, namely Coos picked up his leads perfectly, he behaved and didn't veer or slow at the gates, and was actually FUN to ride!! But...I guess the fact that we passed everyone, and the judge had to step out of our way at one corner (well, I was passing someone on the rail, and he was standing in the corner instead of near the center!)... well...we placed 6th/6th...but out of 8!!

Hell, Arabians are SUPPOSED to be zippy, for gosh sakes!

Had great expectations for our Huntseat Pleasure class, because he was doing SO well...we had a great ride, he was so rounded, floating trot, perfect reverse of direction, he did gawk ONCE at some people walking by the arena, but I guess that turning the head and gawking did it...we placed 5th/6th out of 6. GRRRGH! It's frustrating, because he was worse the previous day and placed 2nd, behaves better the 2nd day and places worse...*sigh*. What ya gonna do. And If I hear "it's only a $4 opinion" one more time....

Trail was a hoot! This time we got to WALK over the zig-zag ground poles (I let Coos have his head, and looked at the horizon line while he stepped carefully through them [if you look down, it can mess up your horse...don't know why, it just does]). Then we had to walk over the wooden bridge, which he did perfectly (it helps that the bridge is the one from our barn, so he's walked over it countless times already, LOL!), THEN we had to pick up the trot and trot a half-circle over two ground poles...Well...we did it...again, it wasn't pretty, but he was trotting, we stayed between the cones (BARELY!!)...and the 2nd pole he JUMPED! LOL! My collar came loose and started falling off, so when we stopped at the mailbox, I quickly caught the collar before bending down and opening the mailbox (which also was from our barn, so Coos was familiar with it...never mind the last show at the fairgrounds last month, he was TERRIFIED of the same box!!).

I thought we bombed, but under Judge A, we placed 5th (out of 6), and Judge B, the obvious Arabian-hater, we placed 6th. *sigh*.

I'm just happy he did so well, especially considering how far he's come in the past year!!! One year ago, that horse would NOT back under saddle, he would NOT side-pass, even from the ground!

Everyone was pissed at the judges during the day, they were VERY unfriendly, curt, short, and not pleasant to deal with. They ticked off a LOT of the English showers by proclaiming that you could show w/o your coat, BUT, NO SLEEVELESS SHIRTS ALLOWED! A lot of the ladies only had sleeveless shirts, but they had to wear their black coats! Guess the judges didn't want to glimpse a bra strap or armpit, LOL!

It got up to 98 degrees yesterday as well! Didn't hear of anyone collapsing from the heat, although my friend's Paint almost lost her hind quarters during a class, she started faltering, so between classes she carefully hosed the horse down (avoiding hitting her tack w/the hose). IMO, no stupid ribbon is worth THAT, but she's a classic Type A personality (and it paid off, as she won the High Point award for our division at the end of the show!). (LOL...she also got an ice cream sandwich in the on-deck area, but was disconcerted that it was broken, and refused to eat it!!!!!!...er...okay...)

Thankfully Sunday's show got done around 4 p.m. (a lot fewer entrants, smaller classes, and the judges were loading the ring just as the previous classes' horses were exiting). I bet Coos was happy to finally get back to his home stall, and I bet he's spending today just getting himself as dirty and filthy as he can!!

There's another two-day show this weekend at the barn where I board, I'm still iffy as to whether I want to show on Saturday (kinda sick of it, and seems to be a waste of $$ at this point)...Sunday is out, cuz that's when I'm leaving for Breyerfest! Hm, If I don't show Saturday, that's $52 more I'll have for BF! To hell with the show, I'll go on a (free) trail ride, then spend the afternoon packing!!! Yeah, I like THAT idea!

Sorry, didn't take any pix, though I wanted to yesterday...I'd put Quzqo's mane in a Continental Braid (since I had time, not doing the halter class) and he blew away the competition in the Looking Good department...we caused quite a fuss, and
many people came and complemented him/me on how cool he looked! And he did...he's got enough mane to pull it off!!!

Another thing that sort of grated on me...Saturday we got big, fat, beautiful two-streamer rosettes. Sunday, where we had to pay twice the entry fee because it was double-judged..they gave out FLATS! FLATS! Like at a model horse show, for crap's sake!!! Word is, they're also giving flats at the show this weekend...yep, might just save my $$ for BF.

If I'm going to place last, I want a big fat rosette at least, *sigh*.

The Cadillac of Horse Shows

Mon Jul 10, 2006

Coos and I got to go to a horse show around 50 miles from here on Saturday down in Cadillac, Michigan. We trailered down with my friend with her Paint mare! I'm SO thrilled that Quzqo literally LEAPS into the horse trailer now, no more playing games, rearing, balking, swerving, and being a dick!

Was a pretty good show, very big for these parts. Sponsored by a Paint breeder, so there were TONS of gorgeous Paints in attendance!! We attended this show last year, and the temps got into the Mid-90's...thankfully it only got up to 81 this year! But still, wearing breeches, black boots and a dark coat ain't too comfy!!

We did Novice Showmanship, and I thought we did DAMNED good...good straight trotting, a crisp stop at the cone, he backed straight as a pin, trotted off, another smooth stop, the horse pivoted 270 degrees so quickly I had to rush to keep up with him, LOL!! Walk to the judge...and we missed her by about four feet, LOL! OOPS! Coos set up pretty nicely, not perfect, but oh well. We placed 6th out of 7!! The non-placing went to some old guy with a BIG Friesian stud who obviously was doing it for shits and grins, because he was in short sleeves, had a red nylon halter and a rope lead, didn't even attempt to pivot the horse (he just led him in a circle), and stood in one spot during the judge's inspection, instead of moving out of her way. We (My friends and I) were ready to protest IF that jerk placed over ME...we weren't great, but by God, we weren't as bad as that guy, LOL!

We also placed 6th in Pleasure Type Geldings...out of 6 entries, LOL! Well, crap, there were TWO Friesians in the class, plus two TWHs, a Morgan, and a little broke-tail Arabian, ha! Ah well, got two pretty green rosettes anyway! Didn't help that the instant one of the judges was walking right behind Coos, he decided to shift and stand cow-hocked! GRR!

Well, at least we didn't have to worry about the showback for the Championship, lol (won by one of the Friesians).

Didn't get too much of a chance to warm Himself up for the ridden classes...he was so laid-back and downright lazy, I didn't need to work him too much. He did pretty nicely in our Novice Equitation 19/over (which thankfully was just rail work, no pattern), and we were helped by the fact this one idiot woman on a TB (who is a thorn in our sides and we (the ladies from the barn) are sworn to beat her whenever possible, lol) just about crashed her horse into another lady, causing me to pull Coos up short and swerve! (she got lectured by the judge later, heh heh). It was only Walk/Trot, but we did so well, that we placed 3rd out of 8! Under both judges! Yaay Us!!

The people with the Friesians entered them in the Huntseat Equitation...holy SHIT...the idiot with the Stud could NOT control the thing...they were GALLOPING around the arena, with HUGE flying strides...those horses assumed every single Artist Resin Friesian Pose out there (even the "Mulan" galloping pose, LOL!). The other entrants were taking pains to AVOID them, even crossing the arena to get out of the way...the stud was careening wildly around, one lady cantered to the middle of the ring and did an emergency dismount and refused to continue because of those horses! I was surprised they weren't excused from the ring, frankly. Don't think either Friesian placed in the ribbons...I think the more well-behaved one (a mare) got an Honorable Mention.

Next was the Novice "Step-Up" class, with only 5 entries, and Coos did MISERABLE! ARRGH! I couldn't get him to canter for anything, and keep him cantering for more than maybe 15 seconds!!! He kept breaking gait in the one direction...when we changed direction, I got him into a nice, smooth canter, and we're cantering along the rail, and pass my farrier standing there, I hear him say in a low voice "check your lead"...shit! The horse was cantering so nicely on the wrong lead!! ARRGH! (he's so smooth, I couldn't tell!!). So I had to slow him, get him into the correct lead, but by that time the judge had called for a walk! So...5th out of 5!

Then we did Novce Huntseat Pleasure 19/O, thankfully Walk/Trot again, and Coos did VERY well...and when the judges had us stop on the rail, before they even said to, Coos started BACKING UP! LOL! All by himself, the little bugger!! Quite a change
from a year ago for sure!

I believe there were 8 entries and we placed 4th & 5th (Judge "A", the woman, seemed to like us better than Judge "B", the old fat guy)!

Then we had around 3+ HOURS to kill before they got to the trail classes! The horse and I retired to the trailer to relax. Watched a bit of the show...one woman had brought a beautiful HUGE Clydesdale gelding (roached/hogged mane, braided forelock, long, natural tail), and she had already shown him Showmanship (imagine someone getting a Clydesdale to pivot 270 degrees, LOL!) and Halter (she put him in "stock type geldings"...he was stocky, all right!), and believe It or not... WESTERN! Yes, she had him all decked out with a lovely show saddle, a HUGE cinch, a custom-made bridle, and damned if he didn't have the smoothest jog I've EVER seen!! His lope was so beautiful and slow and smooth...and they dwarfed all the Paints & QHs in the classes, LOL! I did manage to snap some pix...couldn't not do it!! I don't know how he placed in Equitation, but I know he got like 4th in Western Pleasure (relatively big class too, think there were around 11 entries). LOL, I bet the people w/the big-price tag stock horses were miffed to be beaten by a Clydesdale, LOL!!!

There were quite a few Arabians too...a couple I recognized from the last show I went to (where the judge totally ignored anything with a dished face and high tail carriage!). Was pleased to see that these judges were more impartial, and the horses placed pretty consistently. They had pretty little lopes and jogs to die for...some day... One mare was a shining platinum white with tiny fleabites and her mane and tail were as pure white as snow...beautiful!!! Maybe some day...

ANYway, they got to our Novice Trail (19/o) class around 5:30 in the afternoon...by that time both the horse and I just wanted to get it over with!! LOL, that poor boy...as we were leaving the trailer area, he just veered to the side and started walking right back to the trailer!! LOL! "Enough!" No such luck.

We went first, mostly to get it over with...as we were standing in the "In" gate, waiting for the nod from the judges, the dang horse kept oozing backwards! LOL! He just kept stepping backwards, backwards, oozing slowly...hoping to ooze back to the trailer or back to the barn, LOL! I had to keep pressing him back up to the gate, he kept sliding backwards, LOL! What a character! Finally we got a nod from the lady judge, and after a momentary protest, Quzqo picked up the trot I asked for, and we headed right for the row of poles laying on the ground. At the last second he VEERED to the left and managed to miss every single one!!! He knows about stepping over poles, we've practiced, but these were STRANGE poles, to be feared and avoided at all costs! ARRRGH!!!

We trotted through the cones, stopped, and I managed to back him through the serpentine of cones...it was a distance of around 40 feet, a helluva long distance to back a horse, and I was delighted that he did it!!!! This from a horse that 1 year ago would refuse to back one hoof-step!!!

We walked from the last cone to another pole on the ground, I cheated by having him step over the middle instead of starting at the far end, and darned if I wasn't able to get him to side-pass over the pole!!!! That was a FIRST! He's never side-passed over a pole...he's side-passed BESIDE a pole, after having stepped backwards, LOL! He just tucked his head, rounded up, and stepped smartly to the left!! I was happy with that much! Huzzah!!

There were 8 entries, and with the exception of the afore-mentioned idiot woman on the TB who didn't do ANYthing right (her horse spooked at the trot-over poles, the cones, and the side-passing log), everyone appeared to do near perfect, so I figured we didn't place (again!), and went back to the trailer. Eventually they did get around to announcing the placings, and I was truly gobsmacked when I heard my name announced as placing 4th AND 5th!!! WhooHOOO! Our very first trail class placings EVER!!!

We got home around 9, and my friend went back to the show on Sunday (welcome to it!). I'm glad I didn't go, I had a helluva migraine Sunday morning, and was sick from something I ate (probably those grapes I washed in the horse's bucket at the show!)...was so nice to RELAX and nap all day, LOL! My friend did quite well with her mare though, and they ended up winning High Point Novice 19/Over, with a custom-embroidered saddle cover! (yeah, she beat us in every class, but hey, her horse is younger with more training than mine)

Next show is this Saturday, at the local fairgrounds, so no long trailer ride at least! Saturday after that is the big two-day show at the barn...Trouble is, that Sunday I leave for BreyerFest!! Well, I can probably do Showmanship and Halter in the morning, LOL!