"Top 3" in Ranch Riding AND Green Boxing(!?!?!?!)
Reserve Champion in Horsemanship
Champion Green Ranch Rider!!!
We won a Wenger work headstall, reins, a collapsable/movable saddle rack and....
A BUCKLE!
This means that I'm buckled out of the Green Rider division but I can still go for all the classes with Huck and eventually maybe we'll be cool enough to go for the Versatility. For now I'm planning to do Ranch Riding, Horsemanship, Green Reining, Green Boxing and possibly Trail (still has some issues with swinging ropes) and Conformation with Huck for 2016..... oh heavens we have work to do!
I'm really thrilled that I was able to take a Western Pleasure horse and work him up to being a Green Ranch horse. I remember when I first asked him to extend the jog and when I allowed him to walk at a working pace. I'm really proud of the improvement we made through the year, even if we had our moments of less-than-grandeur.
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| New headstall, reins, and buckle! |
My BO/friend B and her palomino barbie horse (in the background of above photo) was Reserve Champion in Ranch Reining and Ranch Boxing.
Wooooooo!! Congratulations girl. You worked really hard and I'm so glad you got to reap the rewards!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!! I love buckles so its so beautiful and shiny to me :)
ReplyDeleteI'm doing the same thing with my gelding, Hot Rod. How did you work on extending his walk and trot? You don't happen to have any videos, do you??
ReplyDeleteHi Allie! I don't have a good comparison video, sorry, but if you just want to see us move, go here: http://overanxioushorseowner.blogspot.com/2015/07/june-ranch-show.html that's a bout 9 months into our work. I am NOT a trainer but I'll try to explain what I do. I used bits of what I was taught by my Hunter Under Saddle trainer and my dressage instructor. I start by simply asking for more forward. If the legs get too fast I try to slow the rhythm with my posting. I also do a dressage exercise that is supposed to get the belly/spine swinging side to side; (two-handed in a snaffle bit) with each stride gently tip the nose away from the extended front leg by moving your arms WITH the action of the front legs. Right leg goes back, right arm goes back, etc. Not a big movement, although you can exaggerate it if the horse doesn't give right away. If the horse is more springy through the spine it can take bigger steps. All in all you're trying to get the horse to lengthen his stride but not necessarily move the legs faster so you keep asking for forward but at a slower cadence so eventually they figure out to take bigger steps, not faster. My usual routine in a ride is to ask for the extension and as soon as we hit the cadence I want, I employ the side to side movement to check the speed while still using my legs to ask for forward. When I get what I want I just let him go until I need to check him again. I got the best trot out of Kevin by posting because he'd lope off so easily, but Huck seems to do well with standing. Hope that helps!
DeleteCongratulations! Here's hoping you can add to your buckle inventory this coming year with Huck! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!!
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